


[Redacted]

by Madison



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Angst and Feels, Blood, Blood and Injury, Death, Eventual Romance, F/M, Gang Violence, Gangs, Kidnapping, Murder, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Torture, Violence, thats not new
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-02-04 16:25:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 68,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18608203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madison/pseuds/Madison
Summary: A senile grandfather. A bloody [redacted]. A glowing necklace. Kagome pulls at threads she should not and ends up deep within the [redacted]. Life was about to get a lot more [redacted].





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Living](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15727536) by [monophobian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monophobian/pseuds/monophobian). 



> I know. Another story. I swear it's not my fault. My peeps from the KogKag fandom have made me do it. Yes, that is the story I am sticking to - I was beaten and forced into writing thing (HA!). Also, the title. I owe it to Suki! The summary idea too!
> 
> I'm sorry if this chapter is a little slow. I promise the next one is way more entertaining.

" _And then you know Mom_ …" she began, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Her glance was focused on the white lilies she was rearranging— _her grandpa's favourites_. As her fingertips glided across the green stems, she heard a shuffling noise, stopping her in her tracks, freezing her in time. Her mouth dropped downwards as she gazed upon her grandfather's figure, his focus elsewhere as he stared through the nearby glass window. It did not take her long to spot the blue plastic cup on the floor, rolling around by his feet, clinging on the wooden floor. Water was gradually covered the floor boards and her eyes widened as she threw herself to her knees. She reached out for the navy rag on her grandfather's comforter and scattered across the floor in an attempt to limit the damages.

"Are you okay gramps? Did you get any on you?" she asked while rising to a standing position.

As expected she received no answer from him.

It was more difficult each day to see him like this. Her grandfather had been a force of nature, an explosive personality … and now. Well, now he was mostly confused. Her mother, her brother and her had all moved into the old shrine with him when he had begun to get sick. The idea was to let him live at home as long as possible so that he could keep his autonomy. Plus, it was not like he was about to let anyone put him in a home while his mind was still sharp. After a while, the care became too much and her mother could not look after the children, work and help her grandfather. Since they could not afford a private nurse, they were forced to move him to a home. Her mother came most mornings and Kagome tried to visit every couple of days. Her course load had university made it difficult, but she always did her best. Most of the time, he would eventually talk to her but not a lot of it made sense. Yet, she took comfort in the fact that she was still able to see him and talk to him.

"I'll get you more," she said as she held the now empty cup in her hand.

"Did you do it Kikyo?"

Kagome stopped in her tracks, a soft smile adorning her face.  _Kikyo_. Her grandmother. He often mistook the two of them; apparently they looked alike. "Did I do what?"

She rarely had it in her to correct him anymore. He always seemed so happy to be talking to his wife that she did not want to break his heart. What was the point? He would not remember this and for a brief moment it made him happy. There was no harm.

"Did you get the youkai?"

He often spoke of a time where things between youkais and humans were a little difficult—to put it lightly. The cohabitation between the two kinds was more peaceful now than it was then and the conflicts were minimal. Once the  _proper conduct_  for both of humans and youkais had been established, things had proceeded in the right direction and they had managed to build a society that welcomed the both kinds. Still, she kept up with the charade and illusion her grandfather was living in at the moment. "I did." Why upset him over nothing?

"Good. Put the knife back in the attic."

 _Wait_. What? This time, she had to stop in her tracks.  _The knife_? Usually once she answered him the conversation would stop or stir in another direction—he was no longer the chatty person he used to be. The knife in the attic? She had so many questions and yet, she could not find her voice. Was her grandfather talking about actually  _killing_  a youkai? There was no way. He was not—he could not. Would there even be a reason to ask him about it? Would he answer? Her heart hammered in her chest as she licked her dry lips before exhaling loudly. Maybe he was getting confused. "The attic at the shrine?" she tried to clarify. As far as she was concerned, her grandparents had always lived in that shrine—it had been passed down from generation to generation through the centuries.

"That's where we keep them," he answered, never once making eye contact with her.

She had gone in that attic a few times but it was a long time ago. There was not much up there except boxes of old stuff and charms her grandfather had collected along the years.  _Oh and a knife apparently_? A youkai killing knife? No one had gone back up there since he had been moved to a home. Well—they had, but only to put away all the stuff that he could not take with him into his new living quarters. She popped her lips. No, it was—just rambling. No matter how bad the situation might have been—including his little youkais outburst—she highly doubted that her grandfather spent his youth killing youkais. And even though she had never meant her grandmother, she was certain that the same could be said about her. It was just the rambling of an old man and she needed to stop paying any attention to it.

"Then that's where it is," she added with a quick breathe. "I'll be back with more water for you, gramps."

She tightened her grip on the glass, shaking her head as though to refocus herself into the present and to chase away any thoughts and doubts he had planted into her mind.

There was no knife. There was no killing.

-R—

"Has Grandpa ever said anything  _weird_  to you?"

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that," Souta said as he raised his head from his homework. The few times he had seen his grandfather, he had not made a lot of sense. He loved his grandfather but he had lost his marbles a long time ago.

Kagome offered him a shrug of the shoulders. "I don't know—just  _weirder_  than usual… I guess?" Did he mention being a murderer did not quite sound like the right way to ask this.

Souta tilted his head to the left, twisting his lips as he tried to recall his past conversations with the man. "I don't think so … why?"

"No reason," she lied as she continued to dry the wet plate in her hands. Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe she was over thinking this. He had told her plenty of strange things over the years and she had never been bothered by them before. Why this one?  _Perhaps_  it was the potential murder aspect of it that had her hanging on longer than she should. There was an easy way to get over this; she could search the attic. But that meant that she was giving an old man's ramble the benefit of the doubt. It meant questioning everything she thought she knew.

Determined, Kagome put the white porcelain plate down on the counter, tossing the red rag on top of it and began to head upstairs. She could feel Souta's eyes on her as he called out her name in confusion, but she brushed it off. There was no reason to share this with him—especially since she had nothing to go on. Once she made it up the stairs, she tilted her head up, staring at the rope hanging from the ceiling. Despite how stupid she felt, she grabbed it and slowly pulled down the ladder stairs so that she could make her way into the attic. As expected, once she was up there, she found herself surrounded by years of dust. She grabbed her blue hair tie from her wrist and quickly ruffled her hair into a messy bun.  _Now,_  she would focus on ignoring the million of spiders that were probably crawling over every inch of her skin.  _Ew_. She crawled her way to the metal string that was attached to the one and only light bulb and pulled it on.

It was not shedding much light but it would do. Around her were a ton of boxes, most of them darkened by the years. Where was she even supposed to start looking? It was not like once of them was going to be labelled  _youkai killing knife_. She sighed, her head dipping forward in defeat.  _One at a time it was_.

Time ticked away slowly as she sat down, going through the boxes, scratching her skin off every once in a while as she was convinced some sort of bug was crawling all over her skin. At some point, she had to shout to her brother that she was  _not_  crazy and simply looking for something for their grandfather. She fed her mother the same lie. She was glad that they could not see her face because they would have spotted the lie right away. Minutes turned into hours and there she was, squinty eyes in a near darkness as she moved out of the way, yet another box. She was above to give up, tired of staring at the same old stuff, the same cardboard boxes, when a glimmer of  _pink_  caught her eye. She moved forward, trying to find its source, but she could no longer see it. All that was there was pure darkness. Still, she patted the ground, trying to wrap her fingers around something— _anything_.

Suddenly, she felt something cold beneath her touch. She gripped it, realizing it was a box. Since it appeared to be dark—almost black—she could not make out the edges of it. So, she threw her arms around it and dragged it towards her chest. She brought it with her near the light source, noticing it was covered in dust. Gently, she wiped it away with the back of her hand, revealing a strange engraving in it…. It was sphere? She frowned. Why a sphere? It was detailed as though it had a shine and an inner and outer layer. She allowed her glance to move downwards, noticing a word at the bottom of the box.  _Shikon_. Where had she heard that word before? Shikon, shikon… It sounded like something her gramps had talked about.  _Yes_. The Shikon Jewel. It was an old tale he used to tell them—but for the life of her, she could not remember it. Maybe it would explain the box. Maybe it was filled with replicas he used to sell the poor tourists who ventured to the shrine back when he used to run it. Still, she opened the box, wanting to satisfy her own curiosity.

And then—she could not breathe.

It was definitely not a replica of the jewel.

Inside was— _a knife_.

The handle was beautiful, made in wood, carved by hand with intriguing patterns along the edges and a small pink shard embedded in the middle. The blade was long and thin, shining despite the lack of light in the attic.  _So there was a knife_. Her fingers were shaking as she dared to wrap them around it, lifting it from its protective box. As she carefully scooped it with her left hand, she found an unpleasant texture brushing against her skin. Curious, she turned it around only to see that the otherwise clean blade was covered in something black. She used the short edge of her blunt nail to try to see if it was coming off only to notice it peeling away. What was that? She lifted her hand, looking at her thumb and wasted not time in realizing her nail now had a red tint.  _Red_.

The moment the realization dawned on her, she tossed the knife as far as possible, its metal clinging against the flooring.  _Blood_ , she had chipped away blood. Her heart was thundering, echoing in her ears as the blood surged through her body fast enough to make her dizzy. She smacked her lips together, thoughts racing through her mind. It had seemed insane from the second he had uttered the word knife and—yet, there was. There had to be another logical explanation for this. It could not be that her grandfather just so happened to own a knife—covered in blood, hidden in the attic, right? Her brain was scrambling for answers, the taste of bile was rising up in her throat and she did not know if she had to be scared and horrified.

She knew she came from a line of monks and priestesses who did not have a history of getting along with youkais but—this was different. And this was her grandfather. She refused to believe that  _decades_  ago he used to go around killing youkais. He could not possibly be this barbaric. No, no. She would not jump to conclusion—she would talk to him, she would try to get some information that might help make sense of this. Maybe there was a perfectly logical reason as to why his grandmother and him would have killed a youkai. Yes. That was what she would do.

She would  _breathe_.

-R—

Kagome's entire body was trembling as she sat in front of her gramps. Black circles were digging into the flesh beneath her eyes, a proof of the sleeplessness night she had just gone through. How had she been supposed to sleep? She had rushed out of the attic as fast as possible, knife in hand, and she had hidden in her bedroom. Of course, she  _had_  promised herself she would not jump to conclusion but it had been too difficult to resist the temptation. Since her options had been limited, she had resorted into using the internet. Despite the fact that she had stayed up all night researching the words  _shikon_  and  _knife_  had not gotten her very far. She did manage to re-read the story behind the Shikon jewel, but it had not helped her piece back together the story or find out how the knife and the jewel were connected…

"Gramps, do you remember the knife you were talking about?" she whispered. "The one in the attic?"

For the first time since her arrival, he turned his head to look at her, forcing her to hold her breath. "Why did you bring it?"

How did he know she brought it? "I - to use it?" she tried in vain.

"We haven't decided the next target yet."

She gulped; target? She did not like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"

"Next time we meet. Don't forget your necklace."

Necklace? One thing at a time… "But what about the knife?" She had brought it but she did not dare show it to him. What if he got confused? What he mistook her for the enemy and things ended badly? It was best if she kept it hidden away. Bringing it had been a bad idea in the first place.

"You know we have to use it. It weakens them."

Kagome felt sick to her stomach; he  _was_  talking about killing youkais. Her grandfather murdered a youkai -  _youkais_  actually from the sound of it. And her grandmother had a part in it too. None of this made sense. She had heard the many stories; they ran a shrine. He was a monk - she was a priestess. The shrine had stopped serving a real purpose, but tourists still visited it and events were organized from time to time. They led a simple life. Then one day, when she was still very young, her grandmother died. It happened long before Kagome was even born, before her parents were even married. And then, her grandfather kept the shrine going by himself. That was the story. That was the narrative. Not this -  _bloody murdering crap_.

She slouched in the chair, despair growing in her chest. Could she see a reason why her grandfather might have been murdering youkais? She knew they had been less than kind to humans but… to kill them in return? How did that fix anything? And why was there no records of it. Surely her grandfather could not have been going around killing youkais without ever being detected. None of this made sense. She was not looking at the full picture. Something was missing.

There was one problem though.

Did she even want to know more?

Could she even find out more?

-R—

"You know, I think even your grandfather hasn't touched this since her death," Miyu said as she put down a white and gold square jewelry box on the bed, a sad smile on her face. "Too many memories I think," she said with longing eyes. She could understand the feeling. She had been faced with the same dilemma when it came to her husband's belongings. It had taken her a while before she had the strength to browse through parts of his life. "Did he ask for it?"

Kagome swallowed hard—great … more lying. As if this was not difficult enough. "No, it's just, he calls me Kikyo so much… I thought it might be nice to bring him something of hers." There was nothing she hated more than lying to her mother but … what else could she do? Tell her she had reason to believe her grandparents used to be  _murderers_? No. She could not.

"I think he really misses her. I hope you can find something in here."

It was a long shot; all he had said was a  _necklace_ , but she figured it might be something her grandfather kept after Kikyo died. It was not too crazy; he  _had_  kept a bloody knife in the attic for God knew how long. Once her mother was out of view, Kagome gripped the edge of the box and opened it. Unfortunately for her, it was filled with the brim with different kinds of jewelry—including a  _lot_  of necklaces _._ How in the world was she supposed to find  _the one_? Her neck corded while her toes curls as she rummaged through the pile of tangled chains. After a few minutes, she was almost willing to give up, her throat dry from her rushed breathing, when suddenly, her finger glided across something smooth and she found herself staring once more at a bright pink light, much like she had been in the attic. She pushed aside the silver chain blocking the light from emerging through. Once the view was clear, she realized she was looking at a tiny pink shard, just like the one on the handle of the knife. It could not be a coincidence. She fished it out of the pile, lifting it. The glow slowly stopped and she frowned.

_What in the world…_

-R—

It was a lost cause, it had to be.

Once more, Kagome was lurking around her grandfather's building. He could not provide her with the answers she wanted and yet, she kept coming back. It was insane. How she wished she had ignored his comment about the youkai—she wanted to go back to not knowing. She could drop it but— _well_  no. She could not. Her fingers were clutched around the sash of her purse as she hopped onto the small sidewalk leading to the entrance. As she lifted her gaze, she noticed two young men she had never seen around before. One of them had white hair shaped into spiky Mohawk, the shaved sides of his head covered in tattoos and his black t-shirt did nothing to cover up his arms, filled with scars and tattoos. The other one had short hair, the sides white and the middle dark black. His arms were also covered in ink from top to bottom. They did not look like the type of people she was used to seeing around here.

But who was she to judge them on their appearances? Anyone was allowed to be wherever they wanted, right?

Still, there was  _something_  deep inside her that was ringing—telling her there was  _something_  else.

It was not until she saw their fangs poking through their mouths that she realized they were youkais.  _And now it made less sense_. She had yet to see youkais at old people's home. They did not retire to die the same way humans did. She slowed down her pace, leaning to the left, hoping to catch a few words of what they were saying.

".. a shard…"

"Impossible … ain't no way."

"Can't tell him…"

"I ain't lying … there was…. Shard … yesterday."

It took every inch of herself control for her to not stop dead in her tracks. Too many common words for it to be a coincidence.  _Shard_. Yesterday? The knife … could it be? It did glow. Did it mean anything? Why did they care?  _And how did they know_? Why had she brought both the knife and the necklace with her today? Why?  _Fuck_. As she got closer to the youkais, she noticed one of the tattoos on the back of the Mohawk hair guy's arm; it could not be mistaken. The Shikon jewel. Why did he have a tattoo of that? Her head was spinning, her blood was racing and her mouth felt like cotton as she took wobblier and wobblier steps. She could feel the sweat dripping down the back of her neck, making its way down her spine and forcing the cotton fabric of her t-shirt to glue to her skin. She was not going to make it inside, was she? She knew that youkais had very sensitive noses and she did not even want to think about what kind of scent she was giving off right now.

 _Focus on walking_ , she told herself. She only needed to get away from them.

"Oi."

The harsh sound of the foreign voice startled her and she came to a halt.  _Oh for the love of God. That was directed to her was it not?_  Fudge. Mohawk guy stared right into her, as though he was piercing through her soul, and he began heading her way. "What are ya lookin' at?"

Was it that obvious that she had been staring? She swallowed the saliva that had been pooling in her mouth and did her best to stretch her lips into a smile. "I-I, hm, sorry." Part of her wanted to drop her purse to the ground and make a dash for her car. Would she make it? Could she outrun a youkai? Maybe enough that he would think that she was not worth it? But then what if he did not know anything and her running away made him suspicious and he came after her even harder? Her heart palpated as she cleared her throat, trying to come up with better words—an explanation … anything. Unfortunately, before she could do so, she saw his nose twitch as he got closer to her—too close. She could feel his warm puffs of air as he took in her scent.

"Ginta, come here. Smell her."

Okay what now? She took a step back, creating a distance between herself and his body. Nobody was going to do anything kind of smelling around here. "Excuse me?" she asked, her voice louder than she had intended.

"Sh," he said with a wave of the hand.

Did he just  _shh_ her?

The one he had called Ginta also seemed to completely ignore her as he closed the distance and began smelling her and her vicinity. Her grip on her purse weakened as the sweat pooled in her palms. She needed to get out of here. She took another step backwards, her eyebrows furrowing. They might be able to harm her easily but she was not about to stand there while they sniffed at her like a group of puppies.

"Miss, you alright?"

The sound of a fourth voice added to the mix seemed to stop all current actions as both youkais took a step back from her. Kagome was able to see the tall security guard behind her, throwing glances at the two men. He took another step forward, his hand on his belt. "Is something the matter?" He recognized her from the many times she had come over to visit her grandfather.

"Nah," Ginta said as he wrapped his fingers around the other youkai's arm. "We just leaving."

His companion did not seem to agree with that decision, and yet, after a few tugs, he followed his friend. However, despite the fact that they were walking away did not prevent them from staring at Kagome, a fire shining in their eyes. Was it the necklace? Was it her? And why would they know about this? Was it—revenge? Had her grandfather hurt someone they knew?

"Miss?"

She could hear his voice but it sounded far away. It was like she had stepped into a new dimension. A few days ago, her grandfather was just a senile old monk and now? Now she did not know anything.

"Sorry—thank you," she said before turning around to face him.

"Let me know if they bother you again."

"Will do," she said with a smile, the corner of her lips twitching as she tried to compose herself enough to walk inside. As soon as she passed the door, she turned around and smacked her back into a nearby wall, her knees wobbling, threatening to buckle under the sheer amount of stress she had gone under.  _What the fuck_. She closed her eyes, trying to slow down the pounding of her heart. This would have to be the last time. If she could not find out anything now, she had to let this go. Either something bad was going on or nothing was going on and she was about to lose her mind over this. Neither of the options was good. It was time to back away.

She tilted her head slightly to the right, catching the sight of the retreating figures into the distance.

 _What the fuck_.

-R—

Another wasted moment.

She had shown her grandfather the necklace, more determined than ever to obtain some answers, but it had led nowhere. Actually, he had gotten slightly upset at her for  _pulling it out in public_. That had forced her to keep the knife hidden. She had hoped to know  _why_  two youkais had been ready to take her down over a  _shard_  but, he had no answer for her. Usually her visits lasted an hour or so, but today she stayed for about three hours; she wanted to make sure that they were gone. Once in a while, she would take a peek through the yellow curtains, trying to see if she could catch a glimpse of them. She did not see them. One would think it would make her at ease but she could not shake off the bad feeling that lived within her.

After her mother called her a few times, asking when she would be home, she had no choice but to resign herself; she would have to leave the building eventually.

To her surprise, the security guard was still there as she headed downstairs. She could not help but wonder if he waited to make sure she would make it to her car safely. At least if someone else was watching out for her, it did make her feel a bit safer. She managed to offer him a smile and a slight wave of the hand before she forced herself to face the doors. Maybe this entire thing was making her overly paranoid. Maybe there was nothing to worry about. Kagome took a deep breath in a futile attempt to give herself some courage, and walked outside. The door slammed behind her, echoing through the quietness of her surroundings. The silence was almost eerie; surely she would hear someone if they were coming her way.

Kagome kept her gaze focused ahead as she blindly fished for her keys inside of her purse. Once she felt the cold metal of her keys pressing against the palm of her hand, she held them firmly. Every couple of seconds she would allow her glance to scan the vicinity, looking for any suspicious movement. There was nothing.

Only her footsteps against the cement pavement.

One.

Two.

One.

Two.

Kagome was deafened by the sounds of her own heartbeat as she walked to her car with only one goal in mind; making it in one piece. The slightest ruffle of a leave or the creaking of a metal pole was enough to make her jump. Once her car came into view, she found herself running to it and once she reached it, she nearly slammed herself into it, desperate to get inside. Her stomach was knotted, her heart was in her throat and she was unable to shake off the feeling that  _something_  was wrong. She fumbled with her keys, the thundering of her heart against her rib cage making her clumsy. Finally, she managed to get the key inside and she turned it, unlocking the door.  _Phew_.

But the relief was short-lived. Before she could slide her body into the car, the air was knocked out of her lungs as a strong, massive arm wrapped itself around her waist. Panic darted in her eyes, a scream bubbled in her throat, but it never made it out as a hand palmed at her mouth, covering both her lips and her nose. Fear settled in as no more air could fill her lungs and she began flaying her arms and legs around, hoping to break free from the steel hold.

"Not so fast," a deep voice whispered in her ears. "We just have a few questions for ya."

She could not see the face of her assailant but she did recognize the voice and the tattoos that covered his arms.  _Suddenly_ , she could not see anything. A rough fabric was being pulled way too tight around her eyes, blocking her view of the world. She tried screaming against the hand, but all that came out were muffled sounds.

"Now, we can't have you screaming, can we?"

As quickly as it had appeared, the hand was removed from her mouth. She saw it as an opportunity to make herself heard, but she was wrong. It was replaced by a wet cloth—as soon as she inhaled it, she knew what was next.

 _Darkness_.

-R—


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So since I'm a failure as a human being. I forgot to mention that the reason to be behind this fic is Nikki (monophobian). So you see, she's part of the Italian mob, yes yes totally. So as we all talked to her in fear that she would have us murdered, she told us about her grandpa, and hm, this came to be. (I may or may not be exaggerating the story! who knows! Maybe Nikki is out to get us all, maybe she's not!) Anyways, thank you for being my inspiration. You're evil and you're the best.
> 
> Anyways enjoy this chapter!

Her head was throbbing, her chest was heaving with each breath she took while her throat was burning from the dryness. Everything around her was pitch black, leaving her disoriented. Why was it so dark? She meant to lift her arms, explore the darkness that laid in front of her, but quickly found out that she could  _not_. No matter how hard she tried, she was met with a foreign resistance that kept her arms locked in place.  _What the…_  As she twisted her wrists around, she could feel a burning sensation across her skin, rubbing away at her flesh.  _Tie wraps_? Horror struck her, her jaw became slack and the previous events came rushing back to her.  _They had taken her!_  She was tied up! She was  _blindfolded_? Her chin and lips were trembling while she could feel how clammy her palms were as they touched one and another. Her body tightened, wanting to flee the situation but she was stuck in place.

"Look who's awake," came a foreign voice.

It did not sound like the man who had snatched her away. Was it his friend? Was it someone else? "W—"she tried to speak but all that came out was a raspy sound—thanks to all the screaming she had done prior to waking up.

She straightened her neck, tension spreading from the base of her skull down to the lower back. "W-here am I? Who are you?" she demanded.

A chuckle rang through her ears. " _That's cute_. She's asking the questions. She's cute."

The voice was deep, amusement laced with each word he said. She tried to break free again, struggling against her binds. Unfortunately, it did not quite work out for her. As she pulled and tugged, she suddenly found herself losing her balance. Her entire body moved to the right and a sharp exhaled of air was knocked out of her lungs.  _Fuck_. She braced herself for the impact before a loud  _thud_  echoed through, while the side of her head met a very hard surface—probably cement. A vivid pain exploded inside her head, spreading within her body. Her suffering was met with laughter. Before she could work past the dizzy spell taking over her mind, warm hands cupped her waist and in one swift motion she was back in a straight sitting position. The large hands gripped at her skin through the fabric of her shirt, the heat radiating across her flesh.

He was  _right_  there, she could tell. She could feel it each time he exhaled upon her face, the warmth sending shivers of fear down her spine. He was close—too close. She held her own breath, waiting for what came next.

"Let's see that face," he said as one of his hands finally released her.

He tugged at the back of her head, loosening that blindfold that shielded him from her sight. A few seconds went by before it was loose enough to slide down her face, allowing her to see again. Right there, in front of her was the bluest pair of eyes she had ever seen. A long wide scar was easily visible on his right cheek, clashing with the tan colour of his skin. He was smirking at her, to no surprise of hers, leaning backwards, giving some space between the two of them. The motion made his long brown ponytail swing from left to right. It also allowed her to notice that he was  _not_  wearing a shirt. All of his visible skin was covered in tattoos—dark black ink—barely leaving any space on his chest to display any kind of bare flesh. She could, however, see what appeared to be many wounds disfiguring the patterns of his ink.

"A photo lasts longer," he suggested as he grabbed her chin, tilting her head backwards.

Her first instinct was to slap his hand away but she quickly found out that she could not do that.  _Freaking tie wraps_. All it did was dug them further into her flesh, deepening the growing wounds around her wrists.

"You're cute," he said as he turned her head left and right, observing her features. "But that doesn't tell me what you're doing with shit that doesn't belong to you."

_What_? "I don't know what you're talking about," she said as she yanked her head away from his grip. "Who are you?"

He laughed. "Don't play dumb." He rose to his feet and signalled with his hand that her belongings be brought to him. Her eyes widened when her purse came into view and his smile kept on growing. He shoved his hand inside, retrieving two items; the necklace and the knife. "Why do you have these?"

The smart thing to do would be to explain that they were not hers and she did not know what they were. But that was not what she did. "What's it to you?"

"It belongs to me."

Was it a youkai knife and that was why it could kill them? An ancient artefact? It would make sense that her grandfather would end up with something ancient … still. It seemed it had belonged to them for a long time and this … guy did not seem that old. Then again, youkais could be tricky. They lived for such a long period of time that it became difficult to tell their age. It did not matter—could she even trust what he was saying? "I doubt that."

"And  _I_  doubt they're yours."

He was not particularly attached to them—or own them really—but it did concern him that they were popping up out of nowhere. This was not the kind of shit he wanted circulating on the streets. Especially since with the tensions at an all-time high at this time and everyone was on their guard, ready to make the first move. This needed to be handled and he needed to show that there was a reason  _he_  had been put in charge. When Ginta and Hakkaku had called saying they were bringing in a  _package,_ this was not what he had expected.  _She_  was not what he had expected. She was looking at him with a fire burning in her eyes and it only led him to believe that something was up with this girl. She had been gassed up, thrown in a car, blindfolded and tied up—yet she kept on fighting him. Who was she with? Whom did she work for?

"They  _are_  mine." Well—technically, no. But he did not need to know that.

She had to get out of here, she had to get out of this. She grabbed the edge of the tie wrap, the one sticking out, and pulled it tighter, getting rid of the loose. It was hard not to wince, but she did her best not to show any expression. Hopefully he would think she was just trying to wriggle free. She had seen a video of this once; Ayumi had tagged her on it on Facebook. Granted she had never practised it or tried it, but there was no time like the present, right? What else did she have to lose? From the look of them, they were not about to quietly let her go. They did not know anything about her and yet they had  _freaking_  kidnapped her.

He let the necklace fall to the ground and took a step forward holding the knife. He pointed the tip of the blade in her direction, his eyes pouring into hers. "Is one knife all you took? Did ya think it was enough?"

Her blood was rushing through her, colouring her cheeks red as she was hopeless to stop the tapping of her foot. She could do this. Come on.  _Come on_. Do it. She closed her eyes, gathering all of her strength and then, she smacked her joined wrists as hard as she could against her lower back while forcing her arms apart. The rapidity of the motion, along with the success of her plan left her so shocked that she was unable to stop her fall and fell forward into the ground.  _On a positive note_ , her small victory did shock  _him_  as well. For a second, he was frozen in place, and she took advantages of the momentary distraction. She grabbed the knife from his hands, wincing as the sharp blade cut through her flesh. She stepped back, and turned it as to point the blade in his direction. She did not know much about it, but based on what she had gathered—she could hurt him with it.  _At least she hoped she could_. If not she was royally fucked.

Immediately she could feel the other youkais closing in on her, trapping her in a circle.  _Not good_. But, before they got too close, he raised his hand, stopping them in their tracks. He had a smirk on his face as he took a step in her direction while she pointed the shaking knife at him. " _Impressive_ ," he noted as his eyes narrowed. "Can't remember the last time someone got the jump on me." He took another step.  _He liked her_.

"I'll do it."

Another step. "Go ahead." Another one.

Instead of imitating him and moving forward, she went backwards. Her body was trembling, her arms became unsteady as she watched him fearlessly get closer to her. Could she? He was calling her bluff—he could probably smell it on her.

His smirk never faltered, not even as he kept on slowly closing the distance between them. He got close enough for the silver blade to poke his chest, and that was when he stopped. The flesh caved in under the pressure of the blade and Kagome felt the urge to pull back. He did not let her. Instead, he grabbed the blade, squeezing it, forcing blood to pour from his hand and unto the ground. He was challenging her—pushing her to her limit. He could tell she was not going to kill him, else she would have done it by now. Although he could not figure out what her endgame was. What was she trying to gain from this? She was a mystery.

"This is insane. I mean—"She could not go forward, she could not go backwards. "This is the last time I listen to gramps' rambling," she muttered under her breath.

"Gotta make a choice princess."

She lost it. "What choice? I don't even know what this is! I don't even know what you are— _who you are_ ," she screamed. "I found it in the attic. It was my grandpa's okay!" Maybe if she pinched herself hard enough, she would wake up from this nightmare.

"What?"

"What?" she repeated. The blood kept on sliding down his chest, tainting the blade and his own flesh further while she began to see the wound the tip of the blade was making on his chest.

"Who's your grandfather?"

"Why does it matter?"

He took a step forward. "Who is he?"

"Kazuki Higurashi!" she shouted in horror as she watched the blade pierced deeply through his skin.

His grip on the blade loosened and his lips parted ever so slightly. "Kazuki Higurashi? You're an Higurashi?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'll be damned," he said with a shake of the head. "I didn't know the old fart had kids—or grandkids." He remembered that he was already pulling away when his wife died … but he did not know that by then they had a child… Heck, he did not even know the old man still had one of the knives with him. He had been a loyal part of the group—no one had bothered him when he had decided that life was too much. Especially after he lost his wife. Anyways—it was not like anyone was going to go after him; he was deadly.

"Wait—what?" He let go of the knife, the unexpected motion forcing her to put her arms down. "You … you know my gramps?"

He chuckled. "I only met him once, but I know of him."

She blinked once. Then twice. "I need to sit down," she finally said to no one in particular as she let herself drop to the ground. None of this made sense. None of this was logical. What? There—she did not even know  _where_  she was or what they were. How could her grandfather possibly know people like this?

"He was a hell of a fighter."

"A what?"

He tilted his head to the side, clearly amused. He was smirking, withholding a laughter at her expression. This girl did not know the first thing about anything, did she. "Are ya telling me you just happened to find this?"

She nodded.

This feisty little thing did not even have a clue as to what was happening to her right now. And yet she had tried to threaten him and get the upper hand. He liked her spirits. One sniff at her had been enough to know she was telling the truth about her heritage, but he still had questions. Probably a lot fewer questions than her though. Higurashi was always a curious one. Then again, most monks were. He had not sense any power coming from her but he knew better than to assume it meant she had not inherited any kind of holy powers. He would find that unlikely considering the fact that both her grandparents had such great powers. He could not remember the last time they had a Miko amongst their ranks. Perhaps her grandmother had been the last one? It could be interesting to keep her around.

"Are you gonna keep on staring or is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?" she said, stomping her foot down.

She barely had a moment to blink that he had closed up the distance between them. Her whole body was lifted from the ground in a heartbeat. His nose was brushing up against hers, his blood coated fingers were holding her chin, the liquid still feeling warming on her skin. His lips were a mere whisper away from hers and all she could hear was her own heartbeat.

"I like my women feisty," he said, his head a dash to the side.

_He what?_

Without thinking, her hand lifted and made contact with his cheek— _loudly_. The slap echoed through the quiet room, and not a sound could be heard—not even a breath was taken. Everyone froze, horrified by what she had just done. A mere seconds after sparing her own life, she had now apparently put it in jeopardy again.

" _I'm not an object,"_  she defended with narrowed eyes. "And I'm certainly not one of your women."

He grabbed his cheek, rubbing it, the stinging feeling lingering behind. "You  _are_  an Higurashi," he said with a chuckle. Oh yeah—he liked her.

_Ding_.

At the sound, he tore his focus away from her and reached out for the back pocket of his black jeans. Quickly, he pulled out his cellphone, his focus detached from her. "Fuck," he groaned as he tilted his head backwards, his jaw clenched. "Fucking _spider_. Ginta come with me." He looked at Kagome. "Hakkaku make our guest comfortable 'til I come back."

"Excuse me?" She scoffed. "You're not  _keeping_ me here. I'm not staying here."

He offered her a bemused smile as his arms dropped to his side so that he could hide away his phone once more. "So what you're telling me," he said, moving forward, "is that, you were drugged up, kidnapped," he continued until he stood in front of her, her body a mere touch away. "Blindfolded, tied up…" He wrapped an arm around her waist, earning a gasp from her. He tilted his head to the side, his mouth brushing up against her earlobe. He could feel the pulse of her heart thundering through her neck. "But you think keeping you here against your will is where I draw the line?"

The air was caught in her throat, the palm of his hand transferring heat to her lower back. Her cheeks became fire as his breath tickled her ear, forcing her to resist the urge to shiver.

"You might be an Higurashi…" he trailed off. "But I still need to check you out," he said, his fingers gripping at the fabric of her clothes.

Her mind oscillated—hesitating between kneeing him in the groin or yanking his arm away, but his speed made the decision for her; neither. He backed away, the presence of his hand on her body now nothing more than a lingering ghost. He offered her a wink before brushing past her, waving at his companion to follow him.

He had made quite a valid point, but that did nothing to excuse his forward behaviour. "Pompous  _jerk_."

Hakkaku could hardly hold back the laughter that bubbled out of his lips. Honestly, he was surprised that had not earned him another slap… He was lucky he was fast, that was all he was going to say. Although Kouga always said what was on his mind without any kind of restraint, he had to admit that even  _he_  found him forward today.

Kagome huffed. "Just who does he think he is?"

"That's Kouga. He's the alpha."

She sighed in resignation. Considering how she ended up in this undisclosed location in the first place, she had every reason to believe that measures would not be spared to keep her here against her will. There was nothing else to do … but wait.

It could be worse; she could still be tied up to the chair…

-R-

"You guys know my family is gonna look for me at some point, right?"

She had  _tried_  to text them but it had been in vain. The faster-than-lightning evil youkais had snatched her phone away from her hand before she could type up a word. She had told them that she was going to visit her grandfather—they all knew it did not mean she would vanish for days!  _Kouga,_  has they had called him, had yet to return from his little outing. God only knew what he was doing out there—and she did not even want to know. She knew she had gone into this trying to find some answers but it turned out that the less she knew, the better.

"I doubt they'll find you," Hakkaku commented with a smile on his lips.

He was on the fence—she clearly was not the threat they thought she was. The girl was  _clueless_  about everything. But that did not mean she could walk away like nothing had happened. How did they know they could trust her?

"Listen girl, you're gonna have to wait for Kouga to come back," he added, leaning into the wall.

" _Kagome_."

"What?"

"My name is Kagome.  _Ka-Go-Me_." If someone called her girl one more time, she was going to officially lose it.

_"_ Okay  _Ka-go-me,_  you're still gonna have to wait until Kouga is back."

"And does anyone know when  _Kouga_  might come back?" she asked, before pursing her lips. He was taking his sweet time, as though she did not have anything else to do with her day. School. She had  _school_  in the morning.

"Nope," he said, popping the  _p_.

" _Why_ , did ya miss me?" She jumped, the back of her head hitting the nearby wall, as he zapped through a cloud of dust and appeared in front of her. "I wasn't gone that long."

His face was close enough to hers for Kagome to notice the streak of dry red smudge under his left eye. She tried to look away but she found that she could not; she was mesmerized. There was no mistaken what it was. Her intense staring forced him to pay attention to what she was looking at—only to realize what it was. He smirked before using his thumb to smudge it away. "Work gets messy," he said as he stood up straight.

_Especially when the fucking spider was involved_. If it were not for him, they probably would not have so much  _work_ , but he made it impossible for peace to last longer than a day. He was always lurking around in the shadows, always planning something. Even when nothing was obvious, he knew he was doing something in the background.

"So can I go now?" Kagome inquired as she rubbed her wrists.

"No," he flat out answered.

"Why not?"

"You know too much."

"I  _literally_  don't know anything. Except that you can't keep your hands to yourself."

"I can touch you more if you want. I aim to please."

_What was wrong with him_? "No, thank you."

"You'll change your mind."

"This isn't beauty and the beast. I won't suddenly fall in love with you because you keep me here against my will."

"You never know."

She had a snappy come back for everything he said to her. She had seen blood on his face and yet it bothered her very little. She clearly spoke her mind and he could not smell a hint of lies on her. It was difficult to say what her deal was. On one hand, her grandfather was a legacy amongst them. The Higurashi had been a part of their founding fathers. It did allow him to slightly put his guard down but—since Kazuki, there had not been an Higurashi amongst their ranks. It was not like he was against it but she did not strike him as— _being the right fit for them_. After all, she had not been careful with the artefacts and she had gotten kidnapped quite easily. Then again, she was not in control of her powers—if she had any, of course. Maybe if they helped her … it would be nice to have some holy powers back… It would make dealing with the spider a lot easier.

"Alright, so whaddaya want?"

"What?"

"Why were you carryin' around a knife and a necklace that don't belong to ya?"

"They are mine."

"They're your gramps."

"What's the difference?"

"We trust your grandfather. We don't know you."

That was true—although she did not know them either. And to be fair, they had snatched her away and thrown her in the back of a car. They probably owed her more of an explanation than she did. They could not really just expect her to think they were good guys or something? No good guy showed up with blood on his face. "I just wanted to know what they were. My gramps isn't really lucid anymore … he said weird things… He thinks I'm my grandmother. And I found the knife. That's it, end of the story. Can I go now?"

That made sense—sort of. He had seen her grandmother before. He would not exactly confuse the two of them but he could see the family resemblance if he looked at her at the right angle. "Not yet."

"Are you just stalling until you figure out a way to kill me and get rid of me?" She did not know if she was asking this in seriousness or if she was joking. Dear God she hoped she was joking.

"Is that what you think we do?"

Granted, they had not displayed a very peaceful front with the whole kidnapping bit but he was intrigued to see what she had gathered from her short time with them.

_Well_. There was murder knife.  _Oh_  and there was her grandfather talking about  _taking_  care of youkais. "You had blood on your face. You  _kidnapped_  me. And you're covered in stabbing marks. Maybe?"

"I knew you were checking me out," he said with a grin.

This guy was unbelievable! She had never meant anyone who was this confident—ever. She thought Inuyasha had a big head but it was nothing compared to this guy.

"I'm not gonna kill ya," he settled on answering. "But I can't just let you walk."

"Listen, I don't care what kind of—weird club you have going on here. I'll stay out of your way, you stay out of mine." And this was the last time she was going around digging through family secrets. It was best for her to assume what was going on here and move on from it. She did not want to know what her grandfather— _the great fighter_ —had been up to during his younger years. She did not even want to consider the fact that this might have something to do with her grandmother dying.  _Nope_. What about her dad? Did he ever had anything to do with this? She had no clear memories of him … then again, her mother would be involved in this, would she?  _No_. She could not have been wrong about every single person in her family. Also, if her mother were involved, they would know who she was.

"I thought you wanted to know what the knife was for?"

"Not anymore," she hurried to answer.

"Kouga … can I talk to you?" Ginta threw a glance towards Kagome. "Over there?" he said pointing at the door leading outside the dark cavern they had been stuck in.

"If you're gonna talk about me, you can do it in front of me, you know," Kagome pitched in with furrowed eyebrows. It was about her and she deserved to know.

"I like your attitude," he said, flashing her a fang poking grin. Still, he ignored her request as he popped to his feet. "Be right back. Don't go anywhere," he teased.

_As if she could_. She knew better than to try and outrun youkais. Actually  _now_  she knew better. It was perhaps a lesson she should have mastered earlier when she tried to make a run for it. They had stopped her quite rapidly and it had been somewhat embarrassing. Even now, her wrists—were they had held her to drag her back—hurt. Violence had not been necessary but apparently they had felt the need to display their superiority.

Once they were far enough away, Ginta's facial expression transformed. He wrinkled his eyebrows, his lips tightly pressed together as he pulled at his throat. "Can I know what you're doing here? I know you like havin' fun but…"

"But what?"

"Whatcha gonna do about her? I mean we took her  _here_."

Kouga dismissed him with a wave of the hand. "I don't think she remembers where  _here_  is."

"It doesn't matter. You're not just gonna let her go, are you?"

"She's legacy. I ain't gonna just kill the old man's granddaughter."

"I wasn't saying to  _kill_  her. But we can't just do nothing. What are we gonna do?"

"Maybe we get her to join."

"Maybe we do  _what_? Are you crazy? You wanna keep her around?"

Kouga shrugged. "Why not? Ever since Kazuki and that other monk quit, we've just been youkais. It would be a hell of a surprise if we had some holy powers to back us up. I bet that fucking spider wouldn't see it comin'." He was fucking tired of the stalemate. He wanted things to change and he wanted to come out on top.

He had a point but—"I don't think she's interested." It was clear that she wanted very little to do with them.

"Maybe we make it interesting."

"Yeah, I don't think she's failing for your flirting. You're gonna have to try something else."

Kouga's eyes narrowed. "She's just a little thrown off. Y'all see. There was a reason the old man joined. She doesn't seem much different."

"It was a different time."

"Doesn't mean I ain't gonna try." There was something about this girl that he could not quite figure out. He remembered the earlier days when he was nothing more than a cub, trying to make his way up. He was a little rough about it and the rules were less strict back then. There was a fire, there was an energy. She  _had_  that. She was spiting fire and she was not _having it_. They could use some fresh blood, some new energy.

Was she cut out for it? Probably not. At least not  _all_  of it. Then again, generations before her had done it. Maybe she would understand.

Regardless of all that, he  _wanted_  her to stick around.

It had been a long time since someone had actually stood up to him. It had been more frequent at the beginning, when he had taken over leadership of the place. People did not think he deserved it, did not think he could do the job as well. But he could. And he had proven himself. It had involved a few bloodshed but they eventually let him be. Except, she was challenging his authority in a different way—she also showed very little fear considering the situation she had found herself in.

"We're done here," he said to Ginta as he slapped him on the side of the arm.

"Oi. Higurashi," he screamed as he headed back her way.

She closed her eyes. " _Kagome_."

"I don't know. I kinda like seeing you get all flustered."

To say that she looked rather unimpressed was not enough to describe the current blank expression on her face. "If you think that hitting on me constantly will eventually work, let me save you the time.  _It won't_."

"I don't know. You didn't seem too upset earlier when I had my hands all over you." He leaned in closer as he tapped his nose. "Can't fool this."

Her shoulders curled around her chest as she dipped her head forward, praying her bangs would cover the redness spreading across her cheeks. He officially had no filter.  _Also_ , she never—she did not—"I was  _surprised_ ," she defended.

"Pleasantly surprised," he corrected.

He was hopeless. Completely hopeless.

"Listen I'll make ya a deal."

"I'm listening?" If there was anything she had learned so far, it was that she was not about to get her way.

"You wanna know more?"

"I don't."

"Liar. Ya didn't come this far to turn back now."

"I like being alive—and not kidnapped," she pointed out.

"Fair enough." He shoved both of his hands in his pockets. "How about this? I promise no one here will kill you."

She put her hand on her side, unimpressed by his promise. "And I'm just supposed to believe you?"

"I'm a man of my word. I can make ya a blood oath if you want?"

"I'll pass."

All she knew about this man was that he was in charge of this insane group who had kidnapped her. Oh and that her grandfather had somehow been a part of this? Could it be all an act? Could they be trying to look tough but they were not that bad? She could not even fathom the thought that her grandfather could be part of anything inherently evil. Could she go on in life with half of the answer? If she walked away now, would she spend her whole life looking over her shoulder? Getting involved in this was a bad idea. Knowing more was a bad idea. Yet, she needed to know. She  _wanted_  to know. This was a bad idea.

"Let's say I did wanna know more?" For a second, she would play his game.

Gotcha. "Then I'll tell ya more."

"And what is it gonna cost me?" She could hardly believe that anything came for free. Especially from him.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? I'm not an idiot. Everything has a price."

"Nope." His loud black boots made a loud thudding sound with each of his steps. Once more, she found herself trapped between his now clothed chest and the wall. "I mean, I do accept certain  _types_  of payments. If you're that desperate to throw yourself at me— _who am I to say no_?"

"I  _will_  slap you again."

"I liked it."

"I'm not doing this."

He chuckled, lowering his head enough for his bangs to tickle her nose. "We can go about this the easy way or hard way," he pointed out.

"This isn't the hard way?" she asked, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Your grandpa sure talks a lot."

Her eyes narrowed, her heartbeat picking up as she hoped he was not going down that road. Then again, did it really surprise her?

"It's not good," he added.

"Are you threatening my grandfather?"

No. "Am I?"

There were a million things she wanted to scream at him but instead, she pinched her lips together until they turned white. Granted she had come out of this fairly unharmed so far but—was that really an indication that nothing bad could happen? No. Was he bluffing? Did she know him well enough to call out his bluff? Probably not. Especially when it came to her grandfather's life. Even though she clearly did not know the first thing about that man.

"So you're telling me, all I'll be doing this  _learning_."

He knew she would end up seeing things his way. "Yup."

"And how am I going to be  _learning_?"

"It's a surprise."

"Do I get to go home?"

"Sure."

"Right now?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I'll let you go if you do one little thing."

"What?"

"Gotta ink you up a little bit."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know that I can trust you. Gotta make sure you don't talk to the wrong people. It's completely safe. Actually, it's a binding  _your_  old man created." He turned to Ginta. " _Bring the kit_."

"Ya sure?"

"Ya."

"Hold on—I haven't agreed to this," she pleaded, waving her hands in front of her. She was not about to get all inked up—especially by someone she did not know. And tied up by a spell? She did not think so.

Kouga completely ignored her as he waited for Ginta to bring him what he had asked for. He quickly returned with a rolled-up scroll and she watched as Kouga carefully unwrapped it, revealing an engraving pen inside?

"Ain't this your gramps' handwriting," he said as he waved the scroll in her face.

Kagome had read enough of his old scrolls and protection charm to recognize his handwriting. However, she had never believed that any of it actually worked. From what she had seen, despite all of his knowledge, her grandfather had never been really  _good_  at this stuff. Had it all been a facade? Could he really have been this good at hiding who he really was? It was getting difficult to tell reality from fiction at this point.

"So because this comes from my grandfather—I'm just supposed to  _let_  you do it?"

"Pretty much."

"Let me guess— If I don't, you'll go back to blackmailing me?"

"I'm really touched by how well you know me already."

The urge to roll her eyes was strong. "What does it do?"

"Makes sure you keep your word. That's all."

Did she even have a choice? He might be all flirty and acting innocent, but she could see behind his eyes that he had a long history and a heavy past. She sighed dejectedly as her shoulders slumped forward. "Please don't put it anywhere visible. I don't want people thinking anything weird."

"I'll be more than happy to undress you."

"That—that's not what I meant. You know what, if I have to do this, you have to stop this."

"Stop what?"

"The flirting."

"I'm not flirting. Do you want me to flirt? I'd be happy to oblige."

_For crying out loud_. "Just—get it over with."

"Where do you want it?"

She tilted her head backwards, avoiding his eyes, as she lowered her hand and grabbed the hem of her shirt, she slowly lifted it, exposing her midriff to the room.

His smile grew into a full grin, putting his fangs on display. "Yes ma'am."

It was not too long before he was kneeling in front of her, his face a  _little_  too close to her … hm groin … for her comfort. Her face was pure fire as she felt him press the tip of the ink pen on her skin. She could not withhold a wince as it pierced through her skin, a foreign pain surging through her bloodstream. The pain continued for a few more seconds before she felt him pull away.

"All done," he said, still kneeling in front of her. "Want me to kiss it better?" he inquired as he looked up at her.

"Can I go home now?"

He chuckled as he pulled himself in a standing position, towering over her. "Sure. As long as you wear this," he said, pulling the blindfold out of his pocket.

"Really?"

"Do you wanna go home?"

She sighed in resignation. "Let's get this over with."

What the fuck had she gotten herself into?

-R-


	3. Part 3

"The Shikon Jewel? Why do you wanna know?"

Kagome offered her friend a shrug of the shoulders. "My grandpa always used to talk about it and - well  _he_  doesn't remember much theses days… I was hoping I might help him remember."

And that was what one would call  _lying through your teeth_. By pure luck, Kagome's best friend was Sango. She came from a long line of youkai slayers and though none of these practices existed nowadays; it did not change the fact that her and her family held a lot of knowledge about - well  _everything_. Kagome combed through her grandfather's belonging, reading through books and scripts but so far, she found nothing of interest. This was why she was not trying to get information from Sango… something or  _anything_  that might provide her with more information about  _Kouga_. Memories of their encounter was enough to make her subconsciously tug at her shirt, pulling it down. She was not in the mood to reveal her tattoo and explain why she had suddenly gone  _insane_.

"I can always ask my parents or see if we have something about it at home," she finally settled on answering.

"Thank you," Kagome exhaled out in a breath.

"I gather he's not doing any better?"

She shook her head. "Not really."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine - it's just- sometimes it seems like I missed out. I was too busy ignoring everything he wanted to teach me, and now I wish I had taken the time to learn." Yes, taken the time to learn that her grandfather was involved in some kind of underground mob? That went around killing youkais? Even though - there were youkais in the group? God, this got more complicated by the second and it made less and less sense by the minute.

"I know what you mean. My parents pushed this whole slayer thing on me and my brother. Even though we can't practice the art of extermination anymore, I'm glad I learned about it."

Extermination? Big no. Murder by knife?  _Totally okay apparently._

" _Hey, Higurashi_."

Although she had not heard that voice often, the sound of it was enough to send a chill down her spine. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it was all a figment of her imagination. She knew what she reluctantly agreed to… but he could not possibly already be here now could he?  _Who the hell was he?_  Then again, if she were to go through the list stalker and nowhere near kidnapper and murderer… she did not know why this kind of behaviour surprised her.

"Kagome… do you know this guy?" asked Sango as she eyed him up and down. He did not look like the type of guys she had seen Kagome hang out with - and that list included Inuyasha who was -  _wild_  to say the least. He was  _too formal_  - and yet he had a strange vibe about him. Then again, maybe that  _was_  better than Inuyasha.

"I'll be right back," she said, dismissing Sango's questions. She did not need to be asked questions to which she had no answers. She lied enough for one day.

She quickly stole a glance around, hoping no one else heard him scream her name from across campus. She did not need anyone wondering what she was up to,  _which was nothing_. This was a nightmare.

"Why are you here?" she hissed.

He laughed. "That's not the welcome I was hoping for," he said, taking a step in her direction.

He looked more put together than the last time she saw him. His long brown hair wrapped up in a neat, high ponytail, a nice grey dress shirt covering his tattoos. Why was he dressed like he had just walked out of an important meeting? She could clearly remember the guy with blood on his face and this was not him. The last thing she expected him to be was a regular businessman with a desk job.

"I thought we had gotten over our issues," he began before bending forward, leaning in closer to her ear. "When, you know, you got undressed for me."

Bright red painted her cheeks, and it forced her to stare away from him. "I did not get undressed."

"Yet," he stated as though it was nothing more than a matter of time.

"What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Came to pick you up."

"I have class."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

He quirked an eyebrow before smirking as he shoved his hand deep in his pocket, satisfaction written all over his face. She watched as he slowly retrieved a piece of paper, unfolding it carefully in front of her, as though he wanted to drag out the suspense. "COMM 203, 8:30 to 11:30." He lowered the piece of paper as he flipped his wrist over, his eyes glancing at a shiny metal watch. "It is now 11:40am." He smiled at her. "Which means you are -  _free_."

No- he did not. He could not have. She reached out, snatching the paper from his grip, which he allowed her to do. "My schedule. How do you have my schedule?" she asked, trying to not scream as to not attract any kind of attention.  _Boundaries_. Had he ever heard that term before?

"I got it."

"Got it how?"

"I have my ways."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as a wave of resignation hit her. She would have no kind of privacy ever again was she? "I might not have class, but I'm busy. I don't have time right now."

She liked to block him at every turn. Although she had started their encounter by snooping around, she was fighting him constantly. Although he enjoyed her little fighting spirit, he also liked to win. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way."

"The easy way being?"

"You come with me."

"The hard way?"

"I pick you up against your will and carry you to my car."

She snorted. "I think I'll take my chances." She did not care how tough he thought he was. There were on campus, surrounded by people and it was broad daylight. She doubted that whatever shifty activities he had going on, he wanted people to know about it. " _See you_ ," she added before turning around, ready to meet up with Sango again. The nerve of that guy.

Two steps.

That was about how far she got before she could no longer feel the ground beneath her feet.

The air was suddenly knocked out of her lungs as a muscular shoulder dug into her chest.  _What in the world?_  As her head bobbled, she looked down, seeing the pavement moving in front of her eyes, her hair dangling in her field of vision.  _He was not actually_  - "Put me down!" she screamed.

"I gave you a choice," he said, completely nonchalant as he kept heading towards his car. Had he not been gracious enough?

"Your way or your way?"

"My way or the hard way."

" _Put me down_ ," she repeated as she began kicking her arms and her legs.

"I can't wait until your friend comes back running, asking you what's wrong. Whatcha gonna tell her?"

_Fuck_.

"You did promise loyalty."

"When did I promise that?"

"When you let me mark ya."

When she…  _oh for fuck's sake_. Defeat clung to her scent as she let her body go soft in his hold. How did he always end up having the upper hand? "I can _walk_ ," she finally said.

"It's fine. I like the view I have when I turn my head."

The view? Fire burned through her cheek as she remembered the  _skirt_  she was currently wearing. Was he trying to tell her that everyone around could see her  _ass_? Her first instinct was to smack him in the back of the head.  _Then_ , it was to hold her skirt down with both of her hands so she could keep  _some_  of her dignity. "Pervert."

"You know, I've killed people for a lot less."

She paused for a second, pondering the possibility that it was in fact the truth. It distracted her long enough for him to reach the car and toss her inside as though she weighted nothing. She landed on the seat with a  _humph_. What in the world had she gotten herself into?

-R-

After completely refusing to tell her  _where_  they were going, she had eventually given up on pestering him for answers. Although she had  _ignored_  him back and opted for staring at the window as they drove through the city and headed for an unknown location. For a while, she thought he was taking her somewhere strange to murder her but then realized that if he would kill her, he would have probably done it a long time ago. However, the fact that he  _could_  kill her did not bring her much comfort. So far she had gotten a lot of negative and no answers. None of this helped her. But hey,  _he_ seemed to get a lot of fun out of it. At least this was entertaining for someone.

It had taken hours before the car even came to a stop and once they reached their destination, she was more confused than ever. Why were they in the middle of the woods? She waited for the driver to come and open the door - which she would have opened herself but Kouga did not let her. Once he opened the door, she could see a small cabin in front of her. From her first glance, she could tell that the years had been rough on it and no one had truly taken the time to do any upkeep on it. A few of the windows had cracked, the wooden was slowly rotting on the outside and long patches of weeds were reaching half way through the green wooden door that showed the entrance.

"Is this where you plan on murdering me?"

He chuckled as he followed her out of the car. "If I killed ya, how would I have fun?"

"Killing me  _would_  be the fun part."

"I'm hurt that you think I would enjoy killing you."

"Yes, how insane of me to think murder is beneath you. But kidnapping and tying me up though, that's fine."

"I'm not the one who tied you up." He leaned forward, his muscular chest bumping into her back while his strong arm wrapped around her waist, forcing her to come a halt. "If I had been the one to tie you up, you would have had a lot more fun."

He allowed his hand to drag across her abdomen, fingertips tickling at her flesh through her clothes. He left a lingering sensation of his presence behind as he took advantage of her stupor to move ahead of her and head for the door. She swallowed hard, an itching of a memory of her bound wrists hunting her like a ghostly feeling on her skin. She lifted her arm, rubbing them to chase it away.

"Are ya comin'?" he asked, tilting his head backwards to meet her glance. "Or are you too busy imagining what I'd look like tying you up to my bedpost?"

_Asshole_. "Don't confused your fantasy for my nightmare."

"I thought we had gone over this already." He pointed to this nose. "Can't fool this."

He saw the redness of rage spreading through her face as he turned away to unlock the door of the cabin - not that it was needed. The whole fucking thing was so torn apart he could probably kick the door open with his foot. He had not been here in  _decades_  - actually the last one to use it properly was her grandfather. Since he had been their last member with holy powers, it made sense it had gone to hell since he left them. This would also be a good way to test if there were any holy powers buried deep within her. It was also a good occasion to rile her up a little more, which was turning out to be a lot of fun.

"Ladies first," he said as he gestured for her to enter.

She hesitated before taking a foot forward, but then remembered that if he  _did_  want to harm her, there was very little she could do to stop it.

The inside did not look much better than the outside; it was falling apart. However, the deteriorating look of the little cabin was not what grabbed her attention. No, it was the old, yellowing scrolls that were hanging in front of the window in the back. She  _knew_  that handwriting; it was her grandpa's. She did not wait for a verbal cue from Kouga before venturing inside, her eyes locked on her target. As she reached it, she was careful to touch it only with her fingertips, afraid that the old paper would brittle under her ministrations. "What is this place?"

"It was your grandparents'," he answered, his hands locked behind his back as he stared around. Would it be worth it to fix it up? Should they work from scratch? They had put a lot of protection on this place and he did not know about her situation yet. Perhaps a little restoration was the way to proceed in this case. After all, if she had powers, this would be the safest place for her.

Kagome's eyes widened. "What?"

"They used to train here. Your grandfather took care of the place. He wrote the protection spells, he made the scrolls - they're old, but the place still hasn't been breeched."

This looked like it had been living quarters at some point. She was convinced that her grandfather had only ever lived in the shrine. Why would him and her grandmother even come to this deserted place in the middle of nowhere? The more she was finding out, the less any of this made sense. And she still did not understand her grandfather's connection with these  _youkais_. What were they up to? "Why did you bring me here?"

"You wanted answers," he stated like it was obvious.

Something was strange. Usually, he was never more than a footstep behind her, his presence constantly lingering near her body. Now? He was keeping a few meters between them. Why? Part of this appeared like a trap. Why would he not want to be near her?  _Not that she was complaining_. He could stay two cities away from her and it would not be enough.  _Still_. His behaviour was different; he appeared to be on edge.

"What was this place for?"

"They trained."

"Trained?"

"Their holy powers."

She knew that way back in the days, prietesses and monks had really strong powers that were used to keep the youkais at bay. Although these days, the most anyone could do was a few scrolls. Up to now, she had been utterly convinced that her grandfather's scroll did not work. She had always entertained him, acted like she believed  _some_  of his stories, and always accepted the good luck charms. Still. For him to have trained and honed his skills? Here? With his grandmother?

"I didn't think he had any powers."

Kouga chuckled. "He was strong. Maybe not as much as your grandmother but - he was talented."

Her grandmother. She did not even know the first thing about her - her grandfather never liked to talk about her. Their resemblance was the only thing she knew. She heard Kouga's feet shuffle, which pulled her out of her thoughts. Why was he pacing back and forth all the way over there?

"Is something going to explode?" she asked as she tore her eyes away from the scroll. "Why are you over there?"

As his lips stretched into a grin, she realized the mistake she had made. "If ya miss me, I can fix that real fast for ya."

_Yup_ , there it was. Could she kick her own ass for being an idiot? "You know what, you're right. Stay  _there_."

"There are traps here."

"What?"

"Youkai traps. If I step over there, I'll be stuck." He tilted his head to the side, his ponytail swinging with his every motion. "And we both know how devastated you would be if you had to stay far from me."

Kagome groaned as she turned his back to him. Why did she even try to talk to him? Had she not learned her lesson by now? "Maybe I'll just stay here then."

Kouga leaned into the nearby wall, his hands stuffed into his pocket as he stared at the window. "We both know you'd miss me."

"I think  _you'd_  miss me."

"You  _are_  the most stubborn person I've ever met."

She did not know if he meant it as a compliment or an insult. "Thank you?"

He chuckled. "I like a challenge. I have to warn ya though; I always win."

"Everything has an exception," she hurried to reply, making sure to not look at him. She sighed as she let another scroll slip through her fingers. "Any reason you brought me here?  _Except_  to annoy me?"

He repeated himself. "You wanted answers."

"This answers nothing - I know nothing more about my family - what they did… what  _you_  do."

Kouga tilted his head to the side. "You don't need to know what I do."

"Oh?" Had things taken a different direction with the years? If she considered how little she knew, she was not sure if it was a bad thing or a good thing.

"I thought you might recognize something here."  _Lie_.

"Well, I don't."

Kagome stomped her foot down, irritated. How did she let him rope her into this? It was clear he had no intention of filling in the blanks - he was toying with her. "I held my end of the bargain," she pointed out, her fingers sliding across her shirt where her marked skin was. "Are you going back on your word?"

His blue eyes darkened, a ghostly shadow overtaking them while the slit of eyes narrowed. His fingers twitched at his sides and one glance was enough to know that if he could get close to her, he would trap her against that wall. "I am a man of my word," he uttered through pinched lips. "Don't attack my honour."

It was faint, but a wave of fire rolled off her skin, forcing goosebumps alongside her exposed flesh. She could see his anger, obviously, but this was more - she could... Feel it? It was digging at her from deep within, clawing at her with such fury. It sufficed to distract her from the fact that a dangerous, most likely murderous, youkai was mad at her. She never felt anything like that before in her life. It was invading her from the inside. It threatened her very soul and her first instinct was to fight its presence. But... But?

In an instant, the rage melted off his features, a grin replacing it. He tilted his head backwards, exposing his neck. "So there  _is_  somethin' special about you."

He was right. He did not know to which extent, but she had inherited her grandparents' powers, there was no doubt about it. It was faint—a flicker against his more powerful aura, but it had offered a slight resistance. His aura burned up with fiery while hers, much softer, offered a push back he had not expected. It was rare that someone challenged him on that level—or went against his wishes. Most that did such a thing did not live very long.  _But with her_? It was intoxicating. Decades flew by and he had forgotten the sweetness, the  _spicy_  of a holy aura. He could feel the twitch in his gut, the roaring beast inside of him. He wanted to know how far he could push her, how much he had to invade her to see the real burst of light bursting inside of her.

_Something special_? The overpowering wave of anger that enveloped her mere moments ago was gone. In its place, she found calmness, as though what invaded her very soul dissipated.  _What in the world?_  "What are you talking about?"

"I thought you could train here," he settled on answering, the tension in his neck loosening as he allowed his shoulders to drop back down. "Gonna have it fixed up. If ya wanna know about your gramps, this is the best way." He  _might_  have ulterior motives in this situation but he  _was_  going to keep his word. She wanted to know the life her grandfather had lived, he would show her. He did not know how much about  _his_  own life she needed to know but he would figure it out later. For now, he would allow her to keep him entertain.

Train? "I don't understand."

"You're a priestess, you need to train."

"I'm not a priestess."

"If you say so,  _princess_."

"This is a waste of my time," she replied, aggravated. Her nose was twitching, and her toes were curled in her shoes as she resisted the urge to  _stomp_  her foot down. He was infuriating! Completely and absolutely infuriating. It was like he was too stuck in his own little world to even hear a word she was saying!

She stepped away from the scroll, ready to head back to the outside world—despite not having a way home. Her rage clouded her judgement, and she wanted out. It was probably what she should have done in the first place - then again, it was not as though he offered her a true chance to leave. It had been quite the ultimatum. What had she been thinking getting herself into this? Her newfound distance from the traps allowed him to bridge the gap separating them. Kouga realized he needed the upper hand and used his speed to gain an element of surprise. After one sharp intake of air, she was smacked against the squeaking door, his larger body covering hers. One arm was stretched by her head, holding his balance, while his other hand found itself on her hips, squeezing lightly enough as to not bruise the skin, but stern enough to let her recognize he could break her apart if he wanted.

"Tell me," he asked, leaning forward. "What is it you want then?" His breath tickled at her ear and her back arched in response. "Why are you here? What answers do you want?"

She had not thought any of this through. She had wanted answers about her grandmother, her grandfather—the lives they led. She did not know what the answers were supposed to look like, but she knew that this did not seem like it.  _It felt wrong_.

"I-I don't know."

Even in uncertainty, she kept her attitude; she was  _defiant_.

His tone lowered. "You think I can hand you everything you want on a silver platter? You think it's that easy? You snoop around, you tag along for the ride and we give you everything?"

A shiver travelled down her spine, the iciness of his voice striking her to her core. He flirted. A lot. He messed with her. A lot. It was  _almost_  enough to forget  _what_  he was. The blood that covered him when they met—the kidnappings… She had to see what he was—deep down. This was not a police ride along, this was not an adventure through the forest. She was not going to hop on her bike, her trusted yellow backpack on her shoulders.  _This was dangerous_. Worst of all? She agreed to it. He would tease her, he would get his way and she would almost forget the obvious.  _The fancy clothes, the fancy car_. He had blood on his hands.

Words failed her—all she could do was shake her head.

He smirked, the corner of his lips brushing up against the skin of her cheeks. "For now, this is what you get to know." His hand slid down until his thumb hooked onto the hem of her skirt, fingertip touching bare flesh. Kouga noticed her shiver, her skin reacting to his touch. He had to tame the roaring in his chest, the  _need_. He continued his descent until he touched his prize; her tattoo. "If I can trust you, you'll get more."

"I thought," she cleared her throat. "I thought that was the point of  _that_." She was bonded; he had to trust her.

He chuckled. "In my line of work, you need more than a  _tattoo_  if ya want my trust." Did he dare test out her limit? He knew with certainty that this would not be easily forgiven, but he allowed himself to be tempted. She was within his grasp. His fingers lowered a bit. " _Or we could skip a few steps."_

_That asshole_.

Both her hands came up, her reflexes getting the best of her, and she pressed her palms flat against his chest. Rage flew within her and with the blink of an eye…  _he landed hard_ —breaking the wall across from them.  _Wait what_. A pink light rescinded from around her fingers, her mouth slacked and her eyes darting around in confusion.  _How did she_? Her chest dropped with each breath she took, her mouth feeling like cotton as she tried to keep her lips tightly shut.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when she heard him laugh. He gathered himself from the floor–unharmed- the pieces of woods chipped from the wall falling off his body as he rose up to his feet. He palmed at his hair, chasing the dust from his dark locks, and then focused on her, his grin ever growing. "Told ya you were a priestess."

_What?_  She blinked—did he—had he provoked her just to? "That came from me?"

"I wouldn't let anyone else kick my ass like this," he replied as he took a step forward.

"But I've never…"

Surely if there was even a remote possibility that she could have had powers… her grandfather would have done something about it no? He would have trained her or -  _or_  she did not know the man at all in the end. Maybe he wanted to forget about this part of his life. Maybe it was why he had chosen another walk of life.

"Maybe it's this place," he said as he pointed to the many artefacts. "Might be bringing out your powers." If the old man trained here, it had to be rigged with some powerful stuff. It was also very anti-youkai. It would make sense that her powers would come out in self-defence. "We can go again if ya want. Maybe I'll knock ya on your back this time."

She heard his flirty comment, but it went right by her.  _Powers_. This was insane. A few days ago her life was perfectly normal and now it was suddenly turned upside down. The only person who could give her answers… well he did not remember any of it. Kouga had shown her on more than one occasion than this was dangerous; that  _he_  was dangerous. Each time she saw him, she got deeper in. But, she could not help herself. She stared down at her palms, looking at her seemingly normal hands. There was something inside of her, something she was unaware of - and that she knew nothing about. She  _wanted_  to know. This was beyond finding about her grandparents and the secret life they lived. This was about finding out about herself. She raised her gaze, her eyes meeting his.  _And he was the only one who could help her do that_.

"D-do you, did you keep anything? From back then I mean."

He arched an eyebrow. "Your old man's stuff?"

She nodded.

"We try to not keep anything… tangible around." He smacked his hand on the back of his neck, palming at the skin. "I can have one of the guys look around, see what he can find."

"Thank you."

He shook his head, dragging out a long sigh before fishing a phone out of his pocket. "Catch," he warned her before tossing it at her.

Despite the warning, she clumsily clapped her hands around it, forcing herself to squat down to not let it fall. "What is this?" she said, staring at the black phone. It looked a little outdated, but it was not a flip phone at least.

"If I need to reach you - or if you need to reach me."

She popped her lips. "A burner phone?"

He smirked. "I'm a popular man, can't be too careful."

She thought she knew, but she did not understand; the mere fact of bringing her into the folds was a risk in itself. It gave a point of entry to him, to his life. It created an unnecessary weakness, and he disliked vulnerability above all else. It was not obvious to her of course. She thought she knew what kind of man he was but she did not. If she did, she would appreciate the sacrifice he was making by keeping her around and giving her a way to contact him. He could tell her, he could show her but he had a feeling that if he proceeded that way, his little caged bird would get rattled and try to escape. He would slowly show her the world she did not know existed.  _It felt like a corruption_. But he reminded himself that she was the one who wanted this. He did not ask her. He did not track her down. She came to him and he allowed it. He could pretend it had nothing to do with the interest he had in her, the roaring of his beast in his chest, but he would not.

Kagome captivated him.

His little forbidden fruit.

It allowed him to play a little wasn't he?

Kagome looked at him, then the phone. And again.  _There was no harm in taking it_. What if what happened today happened again? Sure, she had Sango, but it was not as though her friend was well versed into the world of priestesses and monk. Also, she did not wish for her friend to know what she was up to and with whom… "Thanks," she finally said as she shoved it in her back pocket.

_Beep-beep-beep_.

"Fuck," he slipped out as he reached for his phone. " _What_?" A sigh. " _God fucking damn it_. I leave for a few hours and you guys fuck it up." He slammed the phone shut, the creases in his forehead forming as he pinched his lips until they turned white. "Can't help it princess. Gotta go."

"Wait-"

"Don't worry, Iko's gonna getchu home safe and sound." Zooming around the city was not the most  _subtle_  mode of transportation that he had, but it would do for today. He could not take her with him and he would not leave her here either. He walked towards her, his shoulders pushed back, his chest forward. "Don't worry, if ya miss me, you can call me," he said as he picked up her chin between his fingers. Taking advantage of the rage shining in her eyes, he rapidly leaned forward and before she could blink, he planted a quick peck on her lips.

"See you later, _Higurashi_."

And then, in a flash - or in this case, a whirlwind - he left her sight.

Redness crept up her cheeks, colouring her pale skin, while her fists bundled up at her sides.

_That jerk!_

-R-


	4. Chapter 4

 

"Your play toy is not here?"

Kouga's eyes flickered upwards, meeting Ginta's grin. Maybe he thought he was being funny but Kouga was far from being amused by the comment. He dropped the pile of papers he had been holding down on his desk, his gaze never wavering. "What do you want?"

"Got a new recruit -  _well a second new recruit_."

"She ain't a recruit."

"Well, she's got all your attention."

"What are you fucking saying? Because if you got something to say, say it to my fucking face. Stop fucking dancing around like a moron."

"I'm just saying - you've been busy."

It did not bother him per se, but he heard the talks. No one was to blame - Kouga had always been a focused alpha. Obviously, he had his share of women but they had never seen him hang around a woman. At least not this long. On top of it, he usually slept with them and discarded them. Clearly, he had every intention of getting in between that pair of legs but - he had not yet. He did not seem bothered by it. Why would he? It was a chase and if there was one thing the wolf within him loved, it was a chase. All of this led everyone to wonder exactly what was happening.

"And it's no one's fucking business but mine. I think you're all forgetting who the fuck is in charge here." He had no problem with having a few rumours running around here and there, but he was not about to have anyone undermine his authority.

"The guys just thought you were gonna use her to see what else the old man kept. He had some good stuff - might help us with the spider."

"And I am - not that I have to explain myself to you." Idiotic morons. He couldn't just come at her; he would spook her. "She has powers. I ain't gonna just come at her."

Ginta frowned. "She does?"

"Yes, you idiot. And she's legacy. I'm not gonna just get rid of her. You remember how good her old man was."

"But she has no training."

"She has the potential."

"You think she's gonna wanna do this?"

He shrugged. "Can't find out if you're all up my ass about her."

Ginta leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "So - wait, you are actually gonna  _keep_  her around?"

"If she's got some punch, long term might be better than short term."

"And how are ya gonna keep her long term?"

"I've got my ways."

"She doesn't seem to be falling for them so far…" he replied, holding back a snicker. Kouga had charm, there was no denying it. It rarely took him time to bag a woman and yet - this one was  _resisting_. Maybe that was part of the reason his alpha was so interested in her.

"When I want your useless input on something,  _I'll ask_."

"Yes, boss."

"Instead of being an idiot, go be useful. Unless you already found the monk?"

"Not yet. You know how he is - he'll be found when he wants to be found. "

"Then why the fuck are you standing here?"

" _Going_ ," Ginta said as he dashed out of the office.

He was planning on using the monk as a trainer for Kagome. There was only so much he could show her and he knew that if he got her a tutor she might loosen up a bit and it would keep her interested. Obviously, he would keep a tight surveillance on her, but he would not be the one constantly at her side. Maybe she would be grateful for the gift; after all, she was the one with all the questions. He was simply  _interested_. He did not trust a lot of people with her. Heck, he did not know if he trusted the monk 100% but it was the closest person he had in terms of holy powers. He had shown a certain level of loyalty a long time ago. He was counting on that. However, he would need to keep an eye out on his lecherous ways. If that idiot thought he was getting his hands on her, he was gravely mistaken.

The monk was known to put women above survival.

He had no doubt that it would cause his downfall one day.

-R-

"Kagome! Look who's here."

Someone was here for her? She wasn't expecting anyone… Kagome closed the sliding door behind her and slipped her shoes off before staring in direction of the kitchen. She could not make out the person sitting in front of her mother since Miyu's figure hid them. It was not until  _he_  tilted his head to the left, his neat ponytail swinging to the side, that she recognized him. Kouga. Her breath was caught in her throat as she stilled, her heart thundering in her chest. Why was here? Why was he in her house? Drinking her mother's tea. Drinking it from her late grandmother's tea set. Then again, he had already proved to be quite skilled in the stalking department.

"Kouga told me you two meet at Grandpa's centre!"

Sort of true, sort of false.

"He was telling me how he has family there too."

Definitively not true.

But what was she supposed to say? Listen Mom, Grandpa was in some sort of mafia and this mobster right here is the leader of said mafia? She didn't think it would go well. She had to bite her tongue and go along with whatever lie he had decided to make up. She tried to put on her best smile, but she could feel her bottom lip quivering every time she stretched her lips.

"Although I didn't know youkais went into those kinds of centres," Miyu pointed out, tapping at her chin with her index finger.

"Actually, some of my  _family_  has gone on to mate humans which has diluted the bloodline and led to a shorter lifespan."

"That makes sense!"

It did - but Kagome could not tell if it was a lie or the truth. He had shown an interest in her even though she was human but - she was pretty certain he showed an interest in anyone with a pair of legs, so it was not quite enough to assume he would actually mate a human. From the feels she had gotten during her short time with his pack, they were all youkais.

"He knows a lot of martial arts!" Souta pitched in, excitement shining in his eyes. "He's really cool."

Kouga took a sip from his tea, his gaze never wavering from her form. He slowly put it back down on the wooden table, causing a clink to echo, and grinned at her. "I'm sure Kagome agrees."

Kagome was  _sure_  she wanted to kick his ass. "Didn't expect you today," she managed to croak out.

"I was in the neighbourhood."

 _Yeah right._ He knew her schedule. He knew she wouldn't be home until later and yet; he came regardless. He had a reason for visiting her home behind her back and she wanted to find out what it was. "Since you came  _all the way here…_  why don't I give you the grand tour. Starting with outside." This was her only chance to talk to him with no outside interference. It was one thing to mess with her, but this was her family and she did not want their safety to be put in jeopardy.

There was a sparkle shining in his blue eyes as he watched her trying to remain composed in front of her family. He loved watching her squirm like this: the fury pulsing through her aura was palpable. It rumbled through his core and it kept him interested. He had not  _needed_  to visit her house  _right away, but_  this made it worth his while. Plus, who knew what else the old man kept stashed away in his shrine? The pack would probably tone down their nonsense talk if he brought back a few things with him or if he confirmed there was nothing of value. Although he had already found the one thing of value; it was her. She simply required a bit of convincing.

He turned his head in direction of Miyu, a smile on his face. "Would that be alright with you, Mrs. Higurashi? This is your home. I wouldn't want to impose."

"Absolutely. Please. We are always delighted to have guests."

Kagome could not help as her jaw slacked, her mouth opening; the interaction happening in front of her seemed unreal. This was not the Kouga she knew, the whole that showed up bloody while making a comment about tying her to his bedpost. Something was wrong here. He was acting like a perfect gentleman, completely charming her mother. If she had not seen the other side of him, she would probably believe it too. He was  _lying, faking… pretending!_ If he was this good at pretending to be something he was not… how could she even tell what was real and what was not? There was nothing honourable about him. If only her mother knew the truth.

After offering Miyu another dazzling smile, Kouga rose to his feet. He walked towards Kouga, his gaze reaching an unbearable intensity which forced her to glance away. "Lead the way," he hushed in a whisper as he gestured towards the door.

She barely managed a nod as she slid the door open, stepping outside. Her fingers were clenching at her sides, her chest huffing with each breath that left her nostrils. The  _nerve_  of him. She took a few steps while she waited for him to catch up and closed the door. Once she knew they were out of earshot, she turned around, using his large frame as a shield from her family. "What do you think you're doing?" she spat out.

"Visiting your home. Ya know, I'm disappointed. I thought we were gonna start the tour with your bedroom," he said with a wink. "I don't think your mom would mind. She seems to like me."

"That's because she doesn't know you. The real you."

He offered her a shrug. "This is the real me. I'm very charming, you know."

"I wouldn't know."

"Ouch," he replied, bringing a hand to his chest. "And I thought I had seduced you."

"Think again."

The sound of the door abruptly interrupted their conversation. "Kouga, are you staying with us for supper?"

"Mom, I don't think he's free."

"That's such a shame."

"You know," he started while smiling at Kagome, "it would be a shame to miss out on such an honour. I think I can free up my schedule for such a special occasion. It would be my honour to stay for dinner, Mrs. Higurashi."

"Wonderful!"

Great. Just  _fucking_  great.

"Now, I believe you promised me a tour."

"You know, I think I should help my mom prepare the supper. It's only fair since she has to make food for an extra person. Don't worry though, I think my little brother would  _love_  to give you a tour."

"You trust me around him?"

"You're so  _charming,_ what could go wrong?" she replied sarcastically as she plastered a smile on her face. "Souta, Kouga needs you out here," she shouted as she left him behind in the cold.

Whatever little game he was playing, she was not about to let him win.

-R-

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Higurashi. This has to be the best meal I've had in a long time."

"It was my pleasure," she said with a wave of the hand. "Why don't you two go upstairs and I'll call you when it's time for dessert?"

"No, please. I must help you clean up. It's the least I can do to repay your kindness."

"Nonsense," she insisted with a firm tone. "Your our guest. Souta will help me. You two should relax until dessert." Although Kagome was a bubbly, friendly, positive girl, she often burdened herself with the family's problems and it limited her social outings and the broadening of her horizons. It delighted Miyu to see her meeting new people. Plus, Kouga appeared to be a perfect gentleman. It would do Kagome some good to hang out with him, she was sure of it.

"I wouldn't feel right burdening your son."

"I'll feel uncomfortable if you help," she insisted. "Now go, the both of you."

The things she wished she could scream at her mother at that moment. She had always been utterly convinced that parents were supposed to  _prevent_ you from being alone in your bedroom with a boy—not force you to do exactly that.

"Shall we?" he asked Kagome with a smile. Honestly, if he had planned this he would never have gone this smoothly. Apparently, Kagome's mother was smitten. If only this daughter was as easy to charm. Then again- would he be interested if she was?

"Mom, I should help," she tried.

" _Go_."

She was not winning this was she? Kagome resigned herself as she rose from the ground, swallowing back a sigh. She did not need to get into it with her mother about why Kouga was not as charming as she believed him to be.

"Follow me," she said as she led the way.

Kouga kept a fair distance between them, watching the sway of her hips with each step she took. The things he could do to her in her bedroom if they were alone. The wooden steps of the stairs creaked under their weight as they climbed up, her aura faltering with nervousness with each step she took. He felt like the predator that he was, stalking its prey until he could trap it in a corner and devour it. He felt a tightening in his groin as he thought about tasting her but he quickly chastised himself; the time for that would come. He had to be patient. He followed her as they walked past the first door and watched as she opened the next one. Not once did she turn to look at him. Instead, she walked in, leaving the door open as an invitation. He was not a fool;If it were not for her mother, she would not have brought him into her bedroom.

Honestly? He mattered very little how he got in. He just wanted in.

Her room was… exactly as he expected. Tones of white and pale lilac, a few items, photos discarded around. It was simple and soft, much like she was. He ventured further inside and watched as she walked around him until she stood in front of the door.  _Typical prey_. She spotted the exit, and it was obvious that she was planning on remaining near it - in case. "You know," he trailed off as he spun around to face her with his body. "Your mother is a great cook. I'm sure whatever desserts she has planned is  _delicious_."

"It is."

He took a step in her direction, making no attempts to shield from her the fact that he was eyeing her up and down. "But you see…" Another step. It forced her to take a step backward, putting her exactly where he wanted her; against the partly opened door. "I might have had…" he began as he put his hand against the door, "another dessert in mind." The pressure he exerted forced the door closed, and she followed it, trapping herself as his body approached hers. Her palms laid flat on the closed door, her eyes widening like a scared doe. His head dipped forward, his warm breath exhaling across the side of her neck. "Something  _sweet_."

Her cheeks burned red, words spilled out of her mouth but nothing made sense - not even to her.  _What was wrong with him_? She raised a hand, intending on pushing him away from her, but he stopped her motion by delicately wrapping his fingers around her wrist. "I usually like to go first, but if you want to touch me, I won't complain," he whispered in her ear.

"I- gah,  _no_. I'm not -"

Her body began to feel like fire, the embarrassment growing within her. She was trying to push him  _away,_  not bring him  _closer._ She foolishly tried to tug her arm free, while trying to slide away from him. The arm he had rested at her left side prevented her from using that side, so instead, she moved laterally towards her bed. His hold on her did not allow her to move as swiftly as she had expected. The pull back from his hold caused a jerking motion, and she tripped over a shoe on the floor. As she sensed her fall, she believed the weight difference would be enough that he should be able to keep her in an upright position. What she did not count on is, he had no intention of keeping her standing. Instead, he followed her downward fall, landing on top of her as she fell upon the bed. It sprawled her hair out, her arms by her sides while he found himself nestled between her legs.

Kouga had long let go of her wrist and opted for having both arms on each side of her head. She watched as his ears twitched. "You know, it would be difficult to explain this to your mother. Could you imagine if she walked in on us?"

"Get off me," she said, her tiny fists bundled against his chest.

"I'll make you a deal."

"I'm not doing a deal with you," she quickly fired back. She tried to slide downwards, but it was not an option considering he was between her legs. She could not go left nor right… Could she wriggled upwards? She tried for a few seconds. The realization of her mistake dawned upon her alongside a burning feeling in her face; she was just rubbing herself against him.

"Or we could do that, I don't mind that," he said with a smirk.

" _Pervert_."

"Kagome, Kouga."

The sound of her mother's voice turned her blood to ice. "Kouga - get off." What if she came looking for them?

"Now do you wanna hear my deal?"

"You think my mother is gonna still like you if she finds you trying to grope her daughter?"

"Honestly, it won't affect me. You might have some explaining to do though."

Frustration rose in her chest and she banged her head backwards against the mattress. "What's your deal?"

"One kiss."

"What?"

"One kiss and I let you go. It's a win-win."

"How is this a win-win?"

"You keep saying you feel nothing for me. One kiss and you prove your point and I leave you alone."

"I'm not kissing you."

"It's fine. I don't need you to kiss me. I'll kiss you."

"Kagome?" her mother's voice repeated, a hint of worry.

"Time's ticking Higurashi. What's it gonna be?"

How did he always corner her into these situations? The tattoo, the near kidnapping… this?  _Wait._

 _"_ I could zap you." She had done it before and it had gotten him off of her.

His expression broke into a grin. "Go ahead." Her hold on her powers was minimum at best and last time he had  _allowed_  her to get a shot at him. That and her anger had permitted a more powerful attack than originally planned.

Last time, she had felt bad for hurting him but - now he was doing this on purpose. It was only fair no? She pointed her index finger at his chest, waiting for the surge to spark through her. And then she waited… and waited… but nothing came. Damn it, how did she do it the first time? Had he not been flirting with her like he was doing now? Had that not made her angry?  _Why_  wasn't she angry that he was leaving her no choice  _but_  to kiss him?  _Goddamn it_. Kagome let her arm fall back at her side, throwing her head back in resignation.

That only made him smile more.

He had expected  _a small surge_  of power - but nothing. That was even better.

"One kiss? And then you stop for good?"

"If you don't like it, I'll stop."

"You're awfully confident."

"No reason to doubt myself."

"Fine."

The word had barely left her mouth that she felt his moist lips on her neck. He suckled at the sensitive skin, forcing her to take a sharp intake of air. This was - this was the one kiss? His lips moved against the skin, working their way up to her jaw, leaving a trail of warmth everywhere they touched.

"K-kouga."

"Same kiss," he mumbled against her skin.

She felt a buzzing radiating through her body as he found the corner of her lips. Stay still? Tilt her head? But before she could make that decision, he captured her lips with his. He devoured her mouth, taking her breath away as he tugged on her bottom lip, fangs carefully nipping at the sensitive membrane. Her body drummed for a second as his tongue spilled in her mouth, forcing her to return the gesture. Her hands, which had been fisted by her sides, slowly opened up. She felt one of his hands gripping at her waist, pinning her down as he kissed her with a passion she had not known before. He was  _demanding;_  he was rough, never giving up the control. Her head swirl as the musky scent of his skin was all that filled her nose. Her back arched, bringing her chest to his while he nipped at her in response.

It was not until the sound of steps upon the stairs that they broke apart. He was the first to pull away, not without tugging at her lip first. He chuckled as he watched her bruised lips and her wide-opened eyes. Her scent was exhilarating and the taste of her was even better than he could have imagined. She was lucky he had an excellent self control or he might have ignored her mother's impending arrival and continued. He had her right where he wanted her. It would be difficult for her to argue that she felt  _nothing_. Although he knew better than to think she would no longer offer him any kind of resistance. As a matter of fact, the exact opposite might happen.

"You might want to go first."

"Wh-what?"

"I'm not sure your mother would appreciate if I showed up downstairs in this… predicament."

She was about to ask for clarification when he pressed up against her.  _Oh_.

"Not that you look any better."

"I - I'm fine."

"Can't lie your way out of this one."

"It was one kiss and we're done."

"We were only done if you felt nothing. I hardly call this nothing."

"I was - just surprised. You cheated. That was more than one kiss."

He put his lips to her ear and watched as she stiffened. "So you're telling me that if I were to slide one finger inside your panties right now, they would be completely dry?"

" _Asshole_." He felt the slap coming, but he did nothing to avoid it. There was a slight  _zing_  as she pulled her hand away but he chuckled. He watched carefully as she fumbled off the bed, trying to put distance between them. "Coming Mom," she said, hoping to buy a few seconds. She flattened her hair down before wiping any trace of him from her lips. "I'll tell her you're in the bathroom," she settled on, avoiding his gaze.

"Don't be long."

"Yes, ma'am."

Now that he was  _alone_  in her bedroom, it might be time to leave a little something behind. He had scented other youkais on her before. He did not know if they were intimate enough to come in her bedroom, but he had every intention of letting them know this little minx was taken. The scent would be hard to get off her bed, that was for sure. Still, he allowed himself to linger a moment longer, trailing his fingers, his body, along her possessions, peeking through drawers -  _including the one that had some lacy underwear -_ before joining her and her family downstairs. He would let no one else step over his territory. She was  _his_.

His to take, his to corrupt.

-R-

"Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Higurashi. I could not thank you enough."

"It was nothing. Please come back."

"I might take you up on that offer," he answered as he put his hands together and offered her a slight bow. "If Kagome doesn't mind."

"Why would she mind?" Miyu asked with a laugh as she turned around to look at her daughter. "Right Kagome?"

"Right," she replied through tight lips.

"Why don't you walk Kouga to the stairs? It's awfully dark and it's his first time here."

"I'm sure he can find his way."

"I'll be fine, Mrs. Higurashi."

"Non sense, Kagome will go."

The one time she needed her mother to be on her side… if only she knew what her  _charming_  Kouga had been doing to her daughter a mere hour ago… she might not be so keen on letting her escort him to the stairs. But that was a secret. One that she paid for at an expensive price.

Miyu put her hand on her daughter's back, pushing her forward and leaving her with no other option than to follow through. She resigned herself to her fate as she began walking by his side. The faster she walked, the faster this moment would be over and then she would finally get a break from him. What she did not know was that the silence did not bother him in any way. He quite enjoyed watching her struggles with her emotions and getting flustered. He did not expect her to cave in so quickly - although, he had to say, he might get impatient now that he had a taste of her. He wanted more - he  _needed more_.

They reached the stairs and he could tell she was ready to spin around and leave him to himself. There was one way to keep her by his side a little longer. "Oh, I found you a teacher."

"A what?"

"A teacher, for your powers."

"What?"

"You start next week."

"Wait - what… where?"

"Don't worry," he replied with a wink. "I'll pick ya up. I know your schedule." He leaned in, taking advantage of her confusion and planted a quick peck on her lips. He kept his face near hers, a smirk overtaking his features. "Night little one." He tilted his head sideway. "Try to not stay up all night thinking about me."

He did not give her a chance to reply. Instead, he walked away, giving her a wave of the hand as he slowly disappeared from her view as he went down the stairs.

Did he just?

Did he just kiss her  _again_?

"It was a  _one-time_  thing," she shouted.

But her words fell on deaf ears.

-R-

Three days. It had been three whole days, and she had not heard from Kouga.

It was a nice break, although she kept observing the shadows, waiting for him to show up out of nowhere.

"Mrs. Higurashi?"

 _This was definitively not him_. Kagome raised her head, searching the campus ground for someone who might look familiar. Before her eyes could land on anyone, she heard a ping coming from her burner phone. What in the world… She picked it up from her backpack, rummaging through it to locate it, and pulled it out. It was a text from Kouga;  _you can trust him_. What?

"Mrs. Higurashi?"

She lifted her head and found herself looking at a tall, slim man. He had red hair slimmed down with gel and deep blue eyes. "M-mr. Kouga sent me," he stuttered. "I have to take you to your lessons."

Well, that explained the text.

She would be lying if she did not say it intrigued her. After all, this was the best of plans; no Kouga and she got to not only learn about holy powers but also train them? It almost sounded too good to be true. And yet, she agreed to it. She followed the stranger to a familiar black car and hopped in. As she settled into the seat, she came to the strange realization that she actually felt more at ease when Kouga was present. Granted, he lived in a fantasy land where he thought she would fall in love with him, but - but he would protect her? It was silly. He was just as dangerous as anyone else in his pack. Nothing made him safer. Plus this way, no one was trying to kiss her.

He seemed to think he had gotten a free pass at kissing her whenever he wanted. He had caught her off guard. She had kissed people before. It was not her first kiss. Although Hojo had not kissed like that. He had been timid, more reserved. The kisses had mostly resembled the quick peck Kouga had given her. Inuyasha - well,  _it had been one time_. Inuyasha lived through his emotions with high intensity but it had not reflected in the way he had kissed her. Kouga on the other hand, he had tried to take all of her, taste her, dominate her. She had felt breathless against the crushing weight of his desire. Surprise was all it had been. Nothing more.

She closed her eyes, trying to chase the memories of that moment away from her mind. Kagome watched the city pass by, time ticking away as they drove her to an unknown location. It was not until she felt the car slow down much later that she realized where she was; her grandparents' little cabin. It made sense that it would be where her training would happen. She unbuckled her seatbelt and before she could open the door, someone did that for her. The stuttering redhead moved out of the way, allowing her to slip out. She thanked him with a nod of the head.

"Mr. Kouga told me to introduce you to Miroku."

Kagome's eyes landed on a tall dark-haired man. Strikes of purple shone through the sunlight as he opened his eyes to reveal their colour matched the hair. "You must be the lady I heard about," he replied with a smirk.

"Mr. Kouga also told me to warn you. You should keep your hands to yourself," he added with an unsteady voice.

"I'm insulted," Miroku replied. "I am a monk, a man of value and honour. I would never disrespect a lady."

Kagome blinked slowly; she had just met him - and yet she did not believe him. There was something about him that did not ring true…

Before she could ponder further upon it, she felt his hands clasp around hers, lifting them up. "It will be my honour to train a lady as beautiful as yourself. I ask for nothing in return. Though I must share, I am the last monk from a long, long line. A line that will end with me if I do not have any male heir…"

"Monk…" the youngster warned.

"If only there was a lady willing to bear my children…"

 _His what now_?

Kagome felt his hands slid down to her wrist, straightening his grip on her. He used it to bring her even closer to him and she felt her temper flare up.  _Who did these men think they were, manhandling her like this all the time?_  Rage rose in her chest and she yanked her hands from his grip and then  _slap_. It echoed through the emptiness of the forest, Miroku's head turning right from the force of the impact. After a few seconds, a large, red handprint began forming on his cheek. Despite the pain spreading through the flesh, he smiled at her. "Is that a maybe then?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

"How about never?" she retorted back, hands into fists.

His boss had been right; she was a feisty one all right. He could see the interest the boss had in her.  _Not that he looking at her that way._  He enjoyed being alive, thank you very much. "That's how you'll get your other hand burned, Monk," the boy warned.

His words brought her attention to his hands for the first time. She glanced down and despite the long black sleeve that attached to his middle fingers, there was a hint of bubbled flesh poking through the parts not covered by fabric. Had Kouga done that? No… surely this Miroku would not be so  _happy_  to help train her if Kouga had hurt him in the past no?

"This came from my own wrongdoings," Miroku said, his purple orbs twinkling as he watched her pensive expression.

"Oh - sorry, I didn't mean to -"

He dismissed her with a wave of the hand. "I am grateful for this burn."

She did not know what it meant but -  _but_  it did not seem to be a punishment. Maybe later she could ask him how he ended up  _colluding_  with someone like Kouga. The more threads she uncovered, the less she understood. How did someone like her grandfather end up working for men like this? How was Miroku tied to them? Despite his clear womanizing ways, she was not getting an evil vibe from him. There was obviously something she was missing, but she could not figure it out. Maybe Miroku would shed some light on this mystery for her. She clearly was not getting straight answers from Kouga. Was he good? Was he evil?

Was he neither?

And where did that leave her?

-R-


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was bribed into posting this.

 

"Wait."

She dropped to the ground, her rear absorbing the shock. "Bad guys? I'm sorry but I've seen Kouga - he doesn't exactly  _look_  like the good guy."

Miroku chuckled as he leaned against the fragile wooden door of the small cabin. "If you believe him to be a bad guy, I do not want to know what you'd think of my family," he said as he stared into the distance, the sun grazing the horizon, spilling orange into the navy blue of the sky.

"I thought monks and priestesses were supposed to be  _good_." Then again, she also thought they were not supposed to be part of any youkai mobs. The grasp she had on reality were faulty at best.

"Not everyone of holy power is good. In the same way, not all youkais are bad." The wind brushed his hair upwards, his ponytail lifting above his shoulder. "My family decided that it was best to use their powers for personal gain."

"Did they hurt people?"

"They did a lot worse than that."

It had been innocent at first. She had inquired about his family, wondering if they always knew they should train him and include him into the long lines of monks. He had no shame in sharing that his family's history was painted with dark colours. However, she never expected it to go that far.

"Do you still talk to them?"

"I'm the only one left."

When he had mentioned it upon their initial meeting, she thought it had been part of his  _pick up_  line, but she had been wrong. It was true. Kagome wanted to know what had led to this ill fate, but she knew it was not her place to ask. If he wanted to tell her, he would. After meeting with him 5 times now, she realized that it was nothing like she had expected him to be. Obviously he still had spurs of moment where he behaved like a lecherous monk, but mostly he had been polite and helpful. And yet, despite that usefulness, she had shown no progress at all - not even a hint of progression. To make it worse, she had yet to display powers again. It was like in her bedroom all over again; Nothing! The memory of her sprawled across her bed with Kouga on top of her was enough to cause a furious blush to colour her cheeks and forced her to stare at the ground.

She was not repeating that again.

A fact he had understood… maybe? It had been radio silence for two weeks now. Someone picked her up for her training lessons, but it was never him. He had not texted either. Not that she missed him or that she wanted him too… it was just unusual for him to leave her alone like this. It was good. Yes, it was good.

"I'm sorry - it's been kinda pointless."

"These things take time. You've never been trained before." Kouga said he saw her display powers, and he believed him. The youkai was not known to waste anyone's time. Sadly, Miroku could not figure out her trigger. Eventually, she would not need to be triggered but… for now and for him to establish a portrait of her powers, he needed to see it. "Was it the first time your powers manifested themselves? When you were with Kouga?"

She nodded. "I didn't know I had any…"

"My lady, may I inquire as to  _how_  it happened?"

The remnants of her previous blush lingered on her skin and now, it intensified.  _Really?_  "Well - we- we were here."

"And what happened?"

"I accidentally sent him flying into a wall."

"Oh, how I wish I had been here to witness it," he replied with a smirk. "It happened randomly? During a conversation?"

Of sorts? "He - he might have angered me a little."

"Oh?"

"He made one of  _his_  comments."

"What kind of comments?" It was hard to prevent his lips from stretching into a grin; he knew  _exactly_  the kind of comments. Miroku had interactions quite often with Kouga over the past decade. It was the first time he ever heard the kind of warning in his voice. That girl was off limit and he had made it more than clear. It was intriguing. There was no doubt that she was pleasing to the eye, and she was feisty but he wondered, was that all? Centuries and  _this_  was the girl that caught his attention?

"Flirting," she mumbled.

"I'm afraid I did not hear you, Lady Kagome."

_Goddamn it._  "He was  _flirting_  with me."

"Uh. How unusual."

She quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean? He's been flirting with me since the second he met me."

"I've not known him to flirt like this."

"Are we talking about the same Kouga?"

"Perhaps I've simply never seen that side of him." Clearly she could not  _feel_  the overpower of his aura all over her. He had coated her with it, leaving a clear trail for anyone with holy powers or youkais to know that she was taken. He had never seen  _that_  before.

"Well, you are a man."

"It is my understanding that most males are comfortable displaying that kind of behaviour in front of each other."

He had a point… Still; she knew he was getting a kick out of messing with her.

"So if my understanding is correct, it was this flirting that triggered your anger which then led you to display powers."

"Yes."

"And you haven't been able to repeat the experience since?"

She shook her head. "I tried to use it against Kouga… when he- was - when he did -  _when I was mad_ , but it didn't work."

He arched an eyebrow. "Were you as mad as before?"

"Yes," she hissed. It was not like she was happy about him kissing her. She had not thrown herself in his arms or anything like that. He was the one who had come at her, forcing her in a deal she could not refuse. She had been furious. If she had been able to push him away, he would not have put his lips on her. Unconsciously, she brought her palm to her neck, fingers brushing upon the spot where he had first kissed her.

"I believe for now, meditation will be your best ally. You should take the next couple of days to meditate and think about the feelings that brought forth your powers. We'll resume this weekend."

"Sorry for the waste of time."

He shook his head. "There are powers within you. We shall find them."

Hopefully, he was right.

-R-

The clear water spilling upon the white floor of the shower began to change colour, becoming muddy with crimson red. Blood spilled from his legs, sliding down his muscular torso and gliding down the nape of his neck. He had never needed a shower like this one. They had found a nest. The spider had tried to overtake his territories, leaving wounds upon his tightly run sector. He did not appreciate it. His pack loved to shield him from such an attack, but he felt like this needed to be dealt personally. He was the one who slaughtered all of his minions one by one. As per usual, not one of them had spilled the beans. They kept on weakling alive. He displayed a power far lesser than the others, which led them to believe he might be new to the spider's pack. Ginta was currently  _interviewing_ him. If it led to nothing, they would slice his throat and end his pathetic life. If it led to something… well, the same fate would be bestowed upon him, regardless.

They took precautions. The spider might have expected that move. They took him somewhere they never went as to not display their hiding location. He refused to give that spider even an inch.

This fucking mess had kept him away from Kagome. He had also limited contact, not wishing to give up anything about her to the spider. He never knew where that bastard had eyes and they had been within his den. Last time he had seen her was when he had tasted her. It left a lingering memory inside of him. The thought of it was enough to spring his cock to life. He laid his palms against the blue swirls of the tiles, dunking his head under the water, washing the blood away from his hair. Before her, a situation like this wouldn't happen. He had more than his willing share of females who would gladly take his cock in their cunts. But he didn't want their cunts. He wanted  _hers_. She had yet to become his, but he did not want to stray. The thought of anyone else did not get his blood rushing downwards. Defeat overtook his body as he slumped his back forward, his arms dropping so he could wrap his digits around his erection.

He chuckled, the drop of waters spilling into his mouth. What was he a teenager? Was he really going to jerk off in his shower, thinking of how perfect her small frame had felt pinned underneath him? And that moan. She had moaned his name, and it was all he could hear now when he would close his eyes. He half attempted a stroke before releasing his hold on himself.  _No_.

As per on cue, a knock echoed through the emptiness of his bathroom.  _Could he not have five fucking minutes_?

He slammed the glass door open, half expecting it to shatter upon impact, and stepped out of the shower. The door swung back close, intact. Kouga did not bother to grab a towel and instead swung the bathroom door open with a glare of rage in his eyes. Hakkaku was standing on the other side, a stoic expression on his face at first that slowly transformed into a smirk. "Do you need me to send someone?" he asked, barely glancing at his erection.

"No."

"I mean, I could send  _her_  but I think she might slap you again. And I don't think that'll help with that. Then again…"

Kouga sighed. "What. Do. You. Want?"

Hakkaku shook his head, the smile never leaving his lips. "You're no fun. Miroku is here to see you. About  _her_."

"Send him in," Kouga said as he reached out for a purple towel. He wrapped it around his waist before running his fingers through his hair, sending water splattering around him.

"Yes, boss."

Miroku had sent him a few updates by texts, but it did not seem like much was happening. Maybe today's session had been different? He grabbed another towel, drying his long hair as Miroku and Hakkaku walked in.

"Kouga."

"Miroku."

"I'll leave you two alone," Hakkaku offered as he locked the door behind him.

"How is she?"

"Still no progress."

"Fuck. I'm telling you, she sent me flying."

"She told me," he said with a smirk. "She's  _interesting._ " His choice of words caused Kouga to glare at him. "I've been nothing but a gentleman towards Lady Kagome," he offered with his hands raised in the air, trying to show peace.

"You better. I'll have no problem cutting both your hands off."

"I'm aware."

"Listen, do you think you can help?"

"I am trying. I might be able to - I- " he paused. "This seems important to you. I am not foolish enough to forget the debt I owe you. You spared me."

"You are a man, you made your own choice. I simply left the door open."

"I was a child."

"You made a call that day. That made you a man. You picked the right choice."

"I'll help. No matter how long it takes."

"Good." He unhooked the towel from around his waist, no shame about his body, as he walked around his bedroom naked, marching towards his underwear drawer. He picked up a blue pair of briefs and slipped it on.

"I believe there might be a way to help speed it up."

"What is it?" he asked, not looking at him.

"You."

"Me?"

"She explained the context in which the incident happened."

Kouga chuckled. "She's feisty."

"I've noticed."

"But what does that have to do with me?"

"I think that if you were to attend our next session, you might be able to trigger her."

"It didn't work last time she tried."

"She also shared that with me." He also had not forgotten the way she had blushed. "Do tell, did she  _want_  to stop you?"

Kouga grinned. "She didn't put up much of a fight."

"Ah - then maybe if you were to try harder, perhaps she would react."

Flirting with her? That would be his task? He hardly had a problem with that. "When do you see her?"

"I told her over the weekend."

"I'll make myself available."

"I'd recommend avoiding her until then."

"Why?"

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder?"

There was something the monk was not telling him, but he did not have a habit of lying to him. Fine, he would believe him. What was a couple of more days at this point?

"Then maybe she'll be more willing to help you with… your problem," he said grinning.

Despite the current conversation, the outline of his erection was clearly visible through his briefs. "A'right, leave before I kick your ass."

"Yes,  _boss_ ," he mocked as he took his leave.

Kouga smitten; he never thought he would see the day.

-R-

"Sorry I'm late," Kagome shouted as she hurried up in direction of the cabin. "I had a team meeting this morning for a project."

Miroku stood in front of the door, his arms crossed and his hands hiding in his long, saggy sleeves. "No worries."

He was smiling - weirdly. The expression he had one was not one she was used to seeing on him. Something was going on.

"I brought help today."

"Help?"

"Hey, Higurashi." The deep sound of his voice rumbled through her, leaving her speechless. He walked from the side of the cabin, a wide grin displayed across his face. "Miss me?" The scent of her was enough to fill his mind with the memories of her bedroom. He wanted to tackle her down on the ground and bury himself between those thighs. Her cheeks were flustered from her running, her hair tousled and now those peachy lips were parted in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to compose herself. He looked at her with hunger in his eyes.

"I'm helping."

"How?"

"I seem to trigger ya," he teased.

He had that right. "I don't think that's necessary. Miroku?"

"I asked him to come."

Two against one. She turned around, nearly hoping to make it back to the car and forget about this session when she was forced to watch it drive away; he had planned this. There was no other explanation. He was trapping her here - and now she did not have the first clue how to behave around him. It had been a kiss - only a kiss. She had kissed Inuyasha before and they were friends now- there was no awkwardness. It was time to put on her big girl panties and deal with this. "Let's go then."

"Marvellous," Miroku said as he dropped his arms to his sides. "Now, Kouga. I need you to replicate what you did that caused our dear Kagome to use her powers."

"Wait a min-"

"No problem," he interrupted.

Her protests fell on deaf ears as he marched in her direction, forcing her to take steps backwards. "I don't think this is how we should go about it."

"Higurashi, I'm hurt. It feels like you're avoiding me."

"That's because I am."

Two steps forward for him, one step backward for her. Unfortunately for her, while he was walking with his eyes set on her, she was reversing blindly. That caused her to miss a small rock slowly lodging itself beneath her heel. As she attempted to increase the distance between them, she found herself losing her balance. Emptiness began to surround her as she leaped backwards. At that moment, a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist and she found her face buried in his chest. She braced herself for impact, but received none of it. She laid her hands flat against what she initially believed to be the ground, only to realize it was Kouga's chest. He had spun her around, taking the hit for her, which had left her straddling him.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she saw his eyes were still closed.  _Fuck_.

Large hands gripped her calves, working their way up to her thighs with a tickle of the fingers. One of them stopped by her rear while the other one glided over it to find its place upon her lower back. As she was about to gasp, he turned them, softening her landing thanks to his grip, and he smirked at her. "I have nothing against you being on top, but I think it's best if I'm the dominating one for now."

"Get off me," she spat out, her eyes avoiding his face.

How did she find herself pin under him  _again_?

"I can make you another deal."

"No, thank you." That last one didn't end well for her. "You cheat."

"How did I cheat?"

"That was more than one kiss."

"I didn't put a duration limit on it. It was  _one kiss_." He lowered his face. "We can have another go at it if you want. I can show you why it counted as one."

"I'm fine."

"Afraid you might like it again?"

"Hardly."

She put her hands up on his stomach, fully intending on pushing him away. She could feel the ripple of his abs beneath the fabric of his black shirt.  _Did he have to be in shape_? It was stupid. Inuyasha was a half youkai, and he did not even have half the shape Kouga did. It was not until she saw amusement dancing in his eyes, a smug smile on his lips, that she realized she had hitched her hands up all the way to his pecs -  _never pushing him away_. Oh my god- she had  _felt_ him up!  _Freaking jerk!_  Her face turned red, and she wanted to bury her shame away from his sight, but being pinned beneath him made it impossible.

Her fingers felt delicate and small as she explored his body and he could already feel himself tightening in his pants. It had been clear from the beginning that she had not realized what she was doing. Her body knew what it wanted before she did. He tilted his head to the side, dipping his long ponytail until the dirt surrounding them. "Can I touch you too?"

The warmth of his tone, the heat of his breath; it pooled in her stomach.  _Nope_. She smashed her hands on his chest, pushing him away as hard as she could. It was at that exact moment that he felt the familiar string of her bright light, forcing him off of her. It was not as powerful or violent as the first time, but it was enough to launch him backwards and he landed on his rear with a thud. Regardless, he had a smirk on his lips. The monk had been right; he was quite the trigger for her. Although he would be lying if he said he did not take pleasure in this. A little more and she could tell the effect she was having on him - not that it was much of a secret at this point.

"Maybe I was wrong," Miroku said as he finally walked towards them. Kagome might be fighting it off, but the sexual tension was palpable. No wonder Kouga was after  _this_  challenge. He had rarely met a female who turned down the alpha. "I don't think anger is the trigger." He smirked. "I think sexual desire is."

"Excuse me?" she screamed as she hopped on her feet. "I don't have sexual desire for him," she said pointing vigorously her finger at Kouga. It was enough for more bright pink light to come from her, knocking Kouga down on his back.  _Shit_.

"Anger," Miroku said with a chuckle. "It's very much anger." He wanted to prove a point; he had succeeded. Miroku cleared his throat as he kept his glance on Kagome;He was not convinced Kouga might find this as amusing as he did. "Now that we know we can trigger Kagome's power, it'll be easier to work on them. Kagome, what did you feel just now?"

"Aside from offended?"

"Yes."

She knew his question was serious, but it was hard to ignore the rapid pumping of her blood. Her heart was racing, pounding in her head, and it almost made her dizzy. She did not like being played. "I - I don't know. I think I wanted to defend myself."

" _Very good_. Your survival instincts are sharp." It made sense that she tried to defend herself from his accusations… but what about when she sent Kouga flying? What had she been trying to protect herself from then? His  _erection_? "I can work with this." He was planning on separating the types of training, but maybe he needed to combine them. "From now on, we will work on a more physical training."

"I can help with that," Kouga pitched in as he hopped to his feet. "I can give you a very good physical training. Lots of endurance."

"Would running work?" she asked Miroku, completely dismissing Kouga.

"That could be acceptable. Tell me Lady Kagome, how are your archery skills?"

"My what?"

"Have you ever worked with a bow and arrow?"

"A little bit… as a kid," she replied, trying to remember the last time she even held on in her hands.

"I'll teach you," Miroku volunteered.

"How's that gonna help?" Kouga inquired.

"It's based on her instincts; the sharper they are, the more skills she becomes, the easier it should be for her to control."

"I'm in." Practicing archery sounded a lot more tolerable than having Kouga flirt with her every time they wanted to see a display of her powers. This at least would keep a distance between them. From the looks of it, he would not give up soon.

Before anyone else said anything, the sound of her stomach growling resonated in the vicinity, signalling to the men present that she was starving _._ She avoided their glances, sheepishly looking at the floor. "I might have skipped lunch to make it here on time."

"I'm not about to let my woman starve," Kouga said as he retrieved his cellphone from his back to ask the driver to return. She watched him as he typed away before he lifted his glance to stare at her. "I'm in the mood for a feast myself."

" _I mean_ I'm starving for  _food_ , not whatever sexually deprived fantasy you're cooking up in your head."

A breath was knocked out of her lungs as he closed the distance between them, his hand gripping at her hip. " _Poor princess_. Your past lovers have  _really_  let you down if you think burying my head between your legs qualifies as a  _perverse fantasy_."

"W— my - it's -," she stuttered under his watchful eye. "My sexual history - it's none - it doesn't - Its none of your business," she managed to say.

"I disagree. It seems I have to right a lot of wrongs."

His eyes held promises of things she could not even think so. She felt a spark inside, a new kind of need she did not know existed. For a brief second, she clenched her thighs together. Every time he looked at her, she felt naked. She had a boyfriend before, but he never looked at her this way before. Inuyasha did not either. It was scary, it was overwhelming. But he had reminded her carefully last time they were at this cabin together; she could only see the surface. How could she forget the scars, the blood… the kidnapping? He was not some guy she met at a coffee shop. He was not a harmless flirt. Underneath the cockiness, the flirting… there was something dark. His flirting - it was pushy, it was demanding. It terrified her. Terrified. That was the right word, no?

"I think I'll stick with food," she said with an unsteady voice.

He could smell it; she was  _wet_. How easy would it be to pin her against the wall and  _fuck_  her? No, she would probably keep denying her body what it wanted. "Shall we then?" he said as he offered her his hand. "Wouldn't want you to fall again. I'll have to catch you."

"I'll be fine," she replied as she walked by him, focusing her attention on the car.

He knew how to push her buttons and he was using her. She was a distraction, a challenge - nothing more.  _Get a grip girl_.

-R-

"Lady Kagome?"

"Hm?" she asked, trying to reposition herself again. No matter how hard she tried, she could not hit her target.

"May I be blunt enough to ask you a question?"

"Sure." It could not be worse than anything Kouga had ever asked her. Then again…

"Why do you dislike Kouga?"

She popped her lips, dropping her arms down. "It's not like I  _hate_  him." He  _was_ helping her. Granted, he forced her to get a tattoo, cornered her into a kiss and had effectively stalked every aspect of her life but… she was the one who came knocking on the door and who didn't back down. She should have known better than to get tangled into things she did not know of… "I just don't wanna have sex with him."

_Coulda fooled him_. "I do believe it is more than that."

"What do you mean?"

"He is  _pursuing_  you."

"Because I turn him down. He doesn't like it."

"Fair point. But he does provide you with training and protection. He has provided you with a lot of information for an outside - despite your heritage."

"We had a deal."

"Does Kouga strike you as the type of person who's  _always_  fair? Do you think he always makes sure the  _other_  person gets what they want?"

"I - I don't know. I never thought about it."

"What do you know about him?"

"He's cocky, he's a pervert, and he likes to flirt with anything with legs," she hurried to reply.

"Do you know what happened to my hand Lady Kagome?"

She shook her head.

"I was 4 years old when I got branded by my family. All the male heirs got the same mark on their hands. It represented our loyalty. I didn't understand it at the time." He removed the golden ring that attached his sleeve to his hand, allowing the burnt mark to show in its full glory. "I was ten years old by the time Kouga showed up." It was a day he would never forget. The sky had vanished into darkness, the copper scent of blood overtaking his nostrils, even for a mere human like him. "His pack slaughtered everyone." He ignored the horrified look she had in her eyes. "I was the youngest by far. The male heirs were far apart. It wasn't until they were all dead that Kouga came to me." Miroku remembered how he had been palming at the back of his hand, somehow thinking his sign of allegiance would provide him protection. "He took my hand and looked at the mark. He asked me if I knew what it meant and I shook my head. He offered me a choice. I could perish like my family, or I could renounce their ties and began a new life." He smiled as he looked at his hand. "That night we burned the remnants of my family from my flesh."

"I- I don't understand. He killed your whole family - and now you work for him?" Kagome's heart was stuck in her throat; why was he telling her this story?

Miroku shook his head. "It was not mindless killing. Some people can't change Lady Kagome. It doesn't matter how much you want them to… they won't. Not everyone has a light inside and can come back from the darkness. There was a choice; kill a few hundred and save thousands, or let them leave and watch them kill innocents over and over again. He made a decision. But he did not kill more than he had to - he spared me." Too young to have been fully corrupted, young enough to be something else. "He brought me to an old monk, and he let me live. I was angry for a while - and then I understood." A long sigh dragged from his lungs. "It's difficult being in charge. He might make it appear glamorous, but - you have to make decisions and you have to live with them." He finally tore his eyes from the horizon and looked at her. "Sounds a bit lonely if you ask me."

He had seen Kouga want things; the safety of his pack, of those under his protection. He had wanted wealth for them, power. But he had never seen Kouga want something entirely for  _himself_. Until he saw him look at that girl. It did not matter that she kept pushing him away; he kept coming back. When he had heard Ginta talk about it, it had sounded like a momentary crush, a chase that would end. He was not convinced.

She wanted to say that it was murder to its core, but Miroku… looked at peace. Who was she to say it was the wrong decision? Would she ever be able to kill for the people she loved? She did not think so. It took something she did not have. She believed Miroku was wrong - people could change. She had seen them change. "I think people can change."

"You're blessed, Lady Kagome. You haven't seen the real darkness of this world."

It ate up at her;What did his family do? What crimes could they have possibly committed that there was no coming back from them? She restrained herself, trying to not stir up old memories and hurt him.

"If you truly believe that, surely you can accept that there is more to Kouga than what you see."

"I- I guess that's true."

There was a beat, a moment. All the melancholy that had weighed down his face lifted and instead, he smiled at her. "Shall we resume?"

"Hm- yeah. Sure."

His words sunk in her heart and she found her focus unbalanced. Two sides of Kouga… what was he trying to tell her?

-R-

Kagome stretched out her arm, reaching for the white string hanging from under her lamp. She turned it off, plunging her room in complete darkness. She sighed as she dropped herself down on her bed, her head landing on her pillow. She was beat and every muscle in her body was sore from the constant practicing. Even when she did not see Miroku, she would practice in her backyard. She wanted to focus all of her attention into mastering her power. The more knowledge she gained, the easier it would be to understand the whole picture. She had to admit, recent conversations with Miroku helped her understand  _how_  her grandfather might have been part of all this. But her head remained confused. Could you be a  _good_  murderer?

She shook her head, chasing the thoughts away before closing her eyes. Unfortunately, before she could reach dreamland a buzzing sound brought her back to reality. She did not keep sound or vibrations on her cellphone…  _that was not her regular phone_. It was the one Kouga had given her. Wait. Why was he trying to contact her this late? No, he could wait until the morning. She was not at his peak and call. She tried to close her eyes but the sound would not stop. It kept going and going.  _"Ugh_  fine," she said out loud as she hopped to her feet. He had better be dying. "Hello?" she snapped into the phone as she answered the call.

"13 and Montie."

The voice was faint; the words were stuttered. Like someone running out of breath.

"What?"

"13 and Montie."

She didn't understand. "Kouga?"

"13 and-"

The line went dead. Kagome pulled her phone from her ear and stared at it. 13 and Montie? She tried to call back his number but right away she was sent to the voicemail. Had the phone died? Was he on another call already? 13 and Montie. Wait - those were streets. Why would he repeat the name of streets repeatedly? Was he… there? Was he… was he okay? Her face turned ashen while her bottom lip began to tremble. She should drop it but she could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong. What would be the harm in checking up on him? It wasn't far from here. Her heart raced, feeling as though it might explode, while she grabbed a blue sweater from her chair, putting it on top of her sleeveless yellow pyjama top. She was quiet as she slipped out of the house, not wanting to wake up the sleeping occupants. She slipped on some sandals and went dashing down the stairs.

Her eyes searched the street names as she tumbled down the road, trying to spot the two names she was looking for desperately. Once her eyes landed on the two signs, her heart skipped a beat. She searched through the darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. There was nothing - there was no one. She was about to march down further when she saw… a foot? It was sticking out onto the sidewalk, the rest of the person hiding near the tree trunk and the bushes. She threw herself on the ground, her hands tapping, trying to feel  _anything_. She used the light from the cellphone to shine a light on the person. The sight in front of her forced her to gasp and drop the phone, light side up.  _Kouga_. He was leaning against the tree, his eyes closed. His face was covered in bruises, and the further she stared down, the worst he was. He had blood covering his light grey shirt, leading her to assume there were multiple wounds on his body.

"W-who's there?" As he spoke, blood spilled out of his mouth, the trail dripping from his chin.

"K-kouga, it's me."

She covered his bloody hand with hers and almost immediately retracted when she felt how cold he was.

"Ka-go-me?" Each of his breaths were laboured.

"You called me… remember?"

He had whipped his phone out of his pocket, but he did not know who he had called. He had pressed a button, and he repeated his location repeatedly. It had never crossed his mind she might have been the one he called.

"What happened Kouga?"

"That kid. I-is the kid okay?"

Kagome turned her head, trying to look around, but she did not see anyone. "There's only you here, Kouga."

"Fuck."

She needed to call someone - anyone. As she picked up the phone, she realized that she did not know anyone or any of the numbers. She only had Kouga's number in this phone. Goddamn it. 911, she could call 911. She was about to dial when she felt the weak grasp of his fingers around her wrist.

"No… cops… no hospital."

"Kouga, you're hurt."

"No."

Even despite the weakness of his voice, the dominant tone of the alpha was obvious. " _Fine_ ," she resigned herself. "I can't leave you here though, you'll die." What was she supposed to do? "I'm taking you home," she finally settled on saying. She moved herself until she was kneeling in front of him, his legs strapped between his. He hadn't opened his eyes yet. She grabbed his chin with her hands, trying to tilt his head. "Kouga- I can help carry you but… I can't lift you on my own. Do you think you can walk a little?"

She watched as the lump in his throat bobbed while he swallowed before he finally opened his eyes. He stared at her face before he tilted his head forward. "A bra."

"What?"

"You're… not wea-ring a bra."

Fire light up in her eyes as she stared down at her own chest. Her current position caused her night shirt to gape at front, revealing to his eyes  _a bit more_  than she was comfortable. She held back a screech as she covered herself with her hand. "Really? You're dying and all you can think about is my chest?"

"Nice memory… To take to the grave."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're not dying here." She squatted up and put his arm around her shoulder before wrapping hers around his waist. "Come on, let's go."

He offered her a weak nod before using what strength he had left to assist her in lifting him from the ground. It took a moment to get him steady on his feet but once she did, they began taking small steps. She knew Kouga's stature was imposing, but she never imagined he would feel  _this_  heavy.

It would be a long walk home.

Every few steps, she would look at him, the blood dripping down the side of his face, his eyes, unto his clothes. His chest would heave with each breath and she could hear when he exhaled.

He would be okay.  _He would be okay_.

He would be okay.

-R-


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I was told to update or face an unspeakable wrath!

 

" _Ouf_."

Kagome collapsed on top of her computer chair, the wheels turning it left and right under the unexpected it throw of weight. She let her arms hang at each side, feeling the sweat that coated her skin; she craved a shower. It took her a long time to drag him back to the house and that included the  _infinity_  amount of stairs that led to the shrine. At least they were outside for those. When it came to the stairs to her bedroom, it was another kind of challenge; They had to climb them silently as to not wake up her mother or her brother. How would she even explain a bloody dying Kouga to them? Nonetheless, they made it and she threw him on her bed before she herself sat down.

He was still breathing - which was a good sign - but his eyes were closed.

Now was not the time to rest. She had to tend to his wounds… which had never stopped bleeding. She had used her jacket to soak them up as they went up the stairs, as to not leave a trail behind. However, now his blood was spilling on her bed. She forced herself on her feet and hurried to her bathroom; she had a first aid kit in there. It was not the most complete but since he insisted that hospitals were out of the way… Improvisation it was. She grabbed the red box from under the sink and ran back to his side. She put a hand on his forearm, hoping it would attract his attention and bring him to a state of awareness. Now that there was better lighting, she could see the extent of his injuries on his face. She did not think about it as she brushed away his bangs, which clung to his forehead due to dry blood. Marks of purples were scattered alongside his jaw and chin.  _Who did this to him_?

Her chest fell while air left her lungs. "Kouga? Kouga, I need you to take off your shirt," she whispered.

When his eyes popped up, she expected one of his usual comments - one that would reassure her he was okay - but nothing was said. Instead, he winced in pain as he grabbed the hem of his shirt, attempting to pull it over his head. In the end, she had no choice but to help him. Kagome pulled it upwards with him, freeing his arms from the sleeves before passing it over his head. His skin was coated in blood. This would not do. She left for the bathroom again, grabbed a towel, and turned the shiny handles of the sink to start the water. Once half the towel was wet, she turned off the water and hurried to his side. If she wanted to see where the wounds were she had to start by cleaning up this mess. "Tell me if it hurts," she said as she leaned over him, gently rubbing away the crusting blood. It was difficult to tell what was new and what was old. As she ran the towel across his chest, she spotted every scar, every wound he ever had. A lot of his tattoo hid them, but, this close? They were easy to see. His skin was damaged from years of… this? Miroku's words rang in her ears.  _You make difficult decisions. And you live with them_.  _Sounds kind of lonely_.

"Does it hurt?" The words were a lost, barely audible whisper on her lips while she looked upon his body, horrified.

He shook his head. He had opened his eyes again, and he was glad he did. His head was pounding, which had made it a struggle to keep awake. However, as she leaned over his body, her delicate fingers sprawled across his chest, touching every line of him, she was blissfully giving him something to look at; two perky white breasts. If he thought he had a good view before, it was nothing compared to this. Nothing was shielded from his eyes. He could see her pink erect nipples as they brushed up against the fabric with each movement she made. He could see their sway as she rubbed at his skin. He  _could_  tell her but then she would take them away and honestly, he might pass out. There was something serene about the feel of her warmth on his cold skin. The entire time he had been alone, he had been on his guard, ready to pounce even if it meant death. Around her, he felt at ease. He could fall asleep and he had no concerns.

Once Kagome removed most of the blood, she dropped the towel on the ground and retrieved the first aid kit once more. Now that she could see the new wounds, it was easier to know what she was dealing with and what needed tending. "I - I can't do much with what I have."

"It's fine."

"I didn't have anyone's phone number," she began as she rummaged through the kit. "I couldn't call anyone."

"Can- can you charge my phone."

She nodded. "Where is it?"

"Back pocket." He turned his body to the side, not without wincing, and she easily spotted it sticking out of his pocket. She took it out with minimal contact and plugged it into the cable by her nightstand.

Once he was back down, she grabbed the disinfecting wipes and began examining the injuries. Now that she had wiped away the blood, they looked purple. Why would they be purple? They were not bruises; they were gashes in his skin. She ran her fingers across one and inched her face closer. As she blinked, the purple seemed to vanish, leaving bright red in its place. Alright - she was losing her mind. She ran her fingers over the three injuries, and none of them were now purple. Maybe it was the light - or the exhaustion. Maybe even the lack of sleep. She cleaned the wounds as best she could before proceeding to apply some bandages. She went one at a time, using the tape provided and made sure they were securely in place by palming at the edges of the tape. She trailed her fingers alongside his skin, trying to spot a location she might have missed but there was nothing. Kagome laid her hand flat on his chest, her heart growing heavy. Her touch lingered, tracing lines of muscles as her eyes searched his face.

Kouga would have made a comment, but the sudden realization that he could breathe again distracted him. Originally, it was like a foreign entity had crushed his lungs. Now? He could fully expand his lungs again. At first he had thought he had fallen victim to the spider's miasma, but he had been mistaken. That shit lasted for days and now it was already gone.  _At least he had some luck_.

He closed his eyes as he felt her shift away from him. Kagome dropped to the ground on her knees and pressed her arms on the bed, resting her head on them. Heat lit up her cheeks as it dawned on her that she had been fondling him.  _He was hurt_. She shook her head, focusing herself back on the situation at hand. His breathing was a lot more steady now, but she intended on staying awake to monitor him. All she had done was damage control, nothing permanent.

But he should live.

-R-

The warm ray of the suns pulled Kagome out of her sleep. She arched her back, stretching on her bed as she came into consciousness. However, she quickly learned that she could not move as freely as she wanted. There was an iron grip on her that kept her in place.  _Wait_  - the bed? Her eyes popped open, and she suddenly realized that at some point during the night - probably to escape the coldness of the floor- she had climbed into the bed and joined Kouga. In return, it seemed that he had wrapped his body around hers. Her shirt had riled up and his face was pressed to her stomach, his nose near her belly button while his arms were wrapped around her legs. Her first instinct was to kick him off of her but she remembered that  _first_ he was injured and  _second_  she was the one who climbed in the bed. Could she really be surprised by how things had turned out?

She tried to inch her legs free but all that did was backfire; his lips made contact with the bare skin of her stomach and she had to hold her breath. Warmth spread between her legs as soft, moist lips trailed down her stomach.  _He had to be awake_. She was voiceless for a second, blood rushing through her. "Kouga," she hissed.

It was not much, but it was enough. His eyes popped open and as he took his first inhale of air since waking up, her sweet scent circled him. He did not need to see her face to know whose body was pressed up against his. "Morning," he mumbled in her skin. "Man, did a fucking truck run me over," he complained as he found that every single one of his limbs were heavy, pain shooting through him with each motion he made.

"You tell me," she said, clearing her throat. He had not moved yet. He had not released her. "Can you…?"

He tilted his head backwards and looked up at her. His hands were near her rear, holding on to her like the precious prize that she was. If a little incident like what happened last night was what he needed to end up in bed with her, he would gladly go through it again. "Are you sure?" he teased. "Hard to miss the scent from this close."

A flush crept alongside her cheeks and she put a hand to his shoulder, pushing him away with all of her strength. She did not expect it to work but considering his current state, he immediately let go and flopped on his back. "Damn it," he cursed as he winced.

Shit. "I'm - you know what. I'm sorry, but you shoulda let go." She sighed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, forcing himself to sit up.

"What happened to you?"

"It's fine."

"Kouga, it's not fine. You called me - you could barely talk. Your face is swollen, your wounds are still bleeding."

He did not know what she did to him, but he never felt this good the day after one of the spider's elite kicked his ass. "It's fine, I was just checking in on a call."

"A call?"

"Yeah, people who pay for our protection."

"I'm sorry, you  _charge_  people to help them?"

"How do you think I can afford to keep the pack going? On magical dollars?"

"Well - I -"

"Does it look like what I do is safe? Do I look okay to you?"

"No…"

"Then I should charge for it, shouldn't I?"

He was making it difficult to argue when he looked like shit…"Fine."

He bent forward, resting his body on her legs, as he reached out for his cellphone. He turned it on, watching as the screen showed the logo. He then rested his head on her legs, feeling her stiffen initially, but then she relaxed and he smirked. He was so close to her, all he could smell was her scent. Usually, he would not have slept. He would have gone after whoever tried to get him. He would already be planning his revenge. But now, he was with her. He was lying  _on_  her. It was soothing; it was calming.

Kagome used his position on her to take a peek at his phone. He was texting Ginta. "You're not going back out there are you?"

"Hm?"

"You're not going after the people who hurt you, right?"

"You think I'm gonna let them get away with this?"

"Kouga," she warned.

"Higurashi?"

"I didn't drag your ass all the way here for you to go get killed!"

"Worried about me?"

No. Yes.  _She was_. She was worried about him. "What about the little kid?" she asked, avoiding his question.

"He probably didn't make it."

"Who was he?"

"Little boy. Youngest one of the family. He was easy picking. Those fucking assholes. That's how they got me. Used the fucking kid as bait to get me out. When I get my hands on them…" He sat up, palming at his neck. "Fuck."

She saw it for a brief second while he sat up. Guilt. He felt guilty about the little boy - a little boy he had risked his life to save. Now she felt bad for bringing it up. She put a hand on his back, rubbing it, trying to comfort him. "Kouga… it's not your fault."

She did not know that side of him. Every time she saw him, he messed with her, he flirted - he made a lot of inappropriate comments. Then she felt disgusted because he was charging people for protection but - in a way… he was right? And now he was feeling guilty?

Even though he liked nothing more than Kagome's attempt at comfort, and hoped he could take it further, he knew he could not sit here and do anything about it. "Your mom and your brother are still asleep," he pointed out as he could hear their steady breathing. "I'll slip out before they wake up." He did not mind staying in her bed a little longer, but he knew this could not end well if her mother showed up. Also, it was bad enough that she was the one who had to come get him and endanger herself. It was a bit woozy but he could remember bits and pieces; including her carrying his heavy body over hers.  _Bare breasts_. He remembered that too.

"Where are you going?"

"Ginta's gonna pick me up."

"Wait - is someone gonna look after your wounds?"

"Why, you wanna keep playing doctor?" he asked, flashing her a grin.

"You know what, I don't know why I care," she said as she threw her legs over the edge of the bed. "If you die, it's on you."

"I ain't gonna die."

"Didn't look like it last night. Why did you call  _me_?"

"I didn't," he admitted truthfully. "I couldn't see. I randomly selected." He hadn't set out for her to find him.

_Oh_. "Are you sure you'll be okay? You look like shit."

He chuckled. "Yes, nurse Higurashi. It looks worse than it is." He reached out for her phone, the one he had given her, and opened it.

She watched as he began pressing on the screen. "What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you Ginta's number. In case."

It would have been useful - last night. Then again, as the reality of what he did and who he was, she realized that this was probably not a once in a lifetime kind of situation. It probably happened to him quite often, which is why he was not panicked over the whole thing.

"Do you know who did this to you?"

"Yep."

"Who?"

"Doesn't matter."

"So I rescue you in the middle of the night, carry you -  _and you're heavy by the way_ , and I still can't be told anything?" She scoffed. "I'm not asking to be  _handed_ out anything," she added, echoing a previous conversation they had. "I think I've earned this."

"The spider."

"The what?"

"That's his name. The spider. Let's just say he doesn't play by anyone's rule but his own."

"Is that who Miroku's family was messing around with?"

It was hard to miss the quirk of the eyebrow that overtook his features. "He told you?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, it's him," he replied without skipping a beat.

"I see."

"Well, this was fun and as much as I'd love to cuddle in bed all day, I have to go." Honestly, he wanted nothing more than to lay naked in bed with her, allowing his body a rest. However, the spider had taken it a step too far this time, and he needed to show that it had not affected their pride. Plus, he was sure the guys were going bat shit crazy over his disappearance. "Gotta work."

"You're not even gonna say thank you?"

He grinned as he hopped to his feet. "You're right, that was rude of me." He grabbed her chin, forcing her head backwards and captured her lips with his. His mouth covered her as he devoured it, fangs nibbling at her lips with each stroke. " _Thanks for helping me_ ," he whispered across her lips.

There was a  _pop_  as he fully pulled away and then a gust of wind tangled her hair as he disappeared.

…That… was not what she meant.

-R-

"Kagome?"

"Kagome?"

She blinked, her vision refocusing on the present. In front of her, Miyu was waving her hand, foolishly attempting to bring her daughter back to reality.

"Kagome, you're okay, honey?"

"Yeah, sorry, I got distracted."

"You have bags under your eyes. You didn't sleep well?"

"You could say that," she mumbled as she recalled  _waking_  up tangled up with Kouga the previous morning. Ever since then, her bed had not felt right. The memory was enough to bring heat back to her cheeks and rest was impossible to find.

The slight change in colour did not go undetected by her mother. "How's Kouga?"

"Oh hm, I guess… fine. Yeah."

"You guess?"

"Oh, well - I mean, he has - he's under the weather." If one could call it that. She had stalked her phone a bit, hoping to see a message from him. Although she had made it clear, he would be an idiot for trying to get his revenge right now, she did not picture him as a patient man. He was mad. What if he got hurt some more? It was not like anyone would tell her about it.

"Oh no, poor thing!" She remembered he had mentioned he did not frequently eat home cook meals. "You know what, why don't I make him some chicken soup?"

"I don't think that's necessary, Mom."

"Nonsense, it doesn't seem like he has anyone to look after him."

"Mom-"

"I'll make him soon and you can drop it off this afternoon."

"Mom, he doesn't need chicken soup."

"Everyone needs it when they're sick."

She would not win this one was she? Well - it would make her check up on him, make sure he hadn't died.

-R-

Her mother's stubbornness. It was the whole reason she was in this car, on her way to Kouga. Yes. That was the reason. Since she could not share with Miyu  _what_  Kouga was, it forced her to contact Ginta, her newly added contact. It was better than asking Kouga. It would have come with some comment or what not and she wanted to avoid that - because he was fine. So he would reply. She had to awkwardly ask Ginta the address so she could drop off  _chicken soup_. He had not provided her with the address. Instead, he had supplied a car. Surprise, surprise, the car came with a catch; she had to be blindfolded as to not be able to see where they were heading. Considering the lack of sleep she had gotten during the past two nights, she was dizzy and nauseous from her sight being taken from her. The way there felt like it was taking forever. Eventually, the car came to a stop.

"You can remove the blindfold now, Miss."

She had recognized the boy when he had shown up to the shrine.  _Shippo_. He was the one who would drive her to her lessons. She did as he told her and put it down on the seat. She had grown accustomed to the  _car service_  and knew it was pointless to try to open the door for herself; he would do it for her. She stepped out of the car, a bowl of soup in her hand while there was another in a blue bag hanging from her arm. As she observed her surroundings, it left her breathless. Was this a - _mansion_? The width of the house stretched too far for her to see the edge and she had to nearly break her neck backwards if she wanted to see the roof of the house. It was not a recent construction; she could easily tell. The front was surrounded by a garden filled with colourful flowers, small bushes and plants she did not even recognize. This was where Kouga lived?  _She hoped not by myself_. Who needed so much space?

"Follow me," Shippo said as he led the way through the gravel pathway.

Kagome clutched the plastic bowl in her hands as she timidly followed him, taking small steps, trying to not stare too much. Once they reached the front door, a massive block of wood, he did a strange knock and waited. The door opened and revealed Ginta who was all smile. " _Kagome_ , what a nice surprise."

"Yeah - sorry," she began as she stared downwards. "Kouga gave me your phone number - in case of emergency… and I know it wasn't an emergency…"

"You helped out Kouga, he's our alpha. You're more than welcome here."

He had some doubt about her initially, a lot of them did. However, recent events had changed their opinions. It was rare that someone outside of the pack would put themselves in danger for them. She had ventured into the dark of the night, carried him and cared for him. They owed her one. If she had not come, who knew if the spider and his minions would not have come back to finish the job. Kouga was already in much better shape, which made it almost difficult to believe he had been so bad off. Now, they were pleased with the thought that she might join the group permanently. Although - once Kouga got her in the sheets, he didn't know just  _how badly_  she would want to stay. She didn't strike him as the type of women who let a man satisfy her needs and toss her.

"I - hm well, my mom thinks he's  _sick_ , so she made chicken soup," she said looking down at the bowl in her hands. "I - she would have given me a hard time if I didn't drop it off."

He smiled. "Like I said, you're welcome anytime. Come in."

"Oh, I can just drop it off and you can give it to him."

"Don't be silly, sis. He's waiting for you."

"Wait - sis?"

"Your part of the pack, that makes you our sister."

"I - I'm not part of the pack."

"You helped out our alpha. You're pack." Before she could protest again, he put a hand on her shoulder and guided her inside. "Let me take that bag for you," he said as he looped it off her arm. "In the fridge?"

She nodded. "Hm, I have this one too?"

"Why don't you bring it up to him. He was waiting for you. He's probably upstairs changing his bandages."

"Oh - I can wait here."

"I'm sure he could use the help."

_That was a low blow_. He was playing on her sympathy. Well played. "I don't wanna just walk around in his house…"

"Third door on the left, should be opened."

He would not let her chicken out of it, was he? Her shoulders slumped forward as she sighed dejectedly; there was no winning this. She began a slow climb of the stairs, feeling many pairs of eyes on her. She never turned to look at them and instead opted on facing forward. She climbed the stairs one by one, trying to peak until the hallway. From the top of the stairs she could easily see the open door; the one Ginta told her. Was it weird for her to just show up like this?  _Of course it was_. What was she even thinking? She took quiet steps until she reached his bedroom, and then she popped it more ajar with her foot. That was when she saw his head jump up and a look of confusion in his eyes. She stared at his face. Then his bare chest. Then the water dripping from his hair unto his bare chest. He had more tattoos than she remembered. And then she followed the dark line of hair that went all the way to his…  _GAH!_

She screeched as she dropped the bowl to the ground, forcing it to shatter all over the ground. She clamped a hand on her eyes and turned around, hoping to escape this as fast as possible. Unfortunately for her, the content of the container was now all over the floor, causing her to slip  _and_  fall.  _Ouch_. She heard his footsteps as he ran in her direction and then she felt his arms around her as he lifted her from the floor.  _While he was completely fucking naked_. He put her back down on her feet, his hands gliding down the side of her arms.

"Ya okay?" She was a lightweight but lifting her up hurt. Not that he would share that detail with her.

Kagome could not even phantom the thought of looking at his face right now but - nope, nope. Looking down? Not an option! Staring… at the abs? Oh god. "Hm, yes. I am - hm, sorry. Ginta - he hm, he said you knew I was coming - and hm, I - soup. My mom made soup. And yes. Soup. Soup that I was dropping off - which I thought - I mean, I thought you knew. So I came, and I shoulda knocked. For the soup."  _Oh, my god could she stop fucking talking?_  She wanted to die; she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

It was hard not to break into a smile at her reaction. He had no problem with being naked around her, and his body was having an effect on her. Her scent had spiked up, her cheeks were flushed, and she did not know where to look. Oh, how he was enjoying this. He slid his left hand down until he was holding her wrist and then he slowly lifted it up. It forced her to look up at him and she stared into his eyes as he brought her hand to his lips. He darted his tongue out, licking away at the soup that covered her flesh. He watched as goosebumps spread across her delicate, pale skin. " _Taste good_ ," he said as he pulled away.

Her _ears_  turned red and her first reflex was to look away from his face… and  _gah_  not down there. Goddamn it. She had looked at  _it_  again. "C-could you put some clothes on?"

"I'm sorry, are you uncomfortable?"

"It- it's just - it's just out…"

"Oh, I don't mind if you look. I'm not ashamed of it."

Something that size and that thick? She wasn't surprised… oh god. Did she just mentally comment on the appearance of his dick?  _Yep_ , now was a good time to die and turn into a puddle of goo. "Please."

Kouga released her hand, allowing it to drop back into the emptiness. He turned around, almost brushing up against her and headed for one of his drawers. He bent over, which really only gave her a look of his rear with his…  _thing_  hanging in between his legs. He grabbed a few things, and she felt a huge weight coming off her chest; he would cover himself.

"Here," he said as he handed her the clothes.

"Huh?"

"You're covered in soup. I'm guessing you don't wanna stay like this. You have it in your hair too."

Immediately her hand went to her ponytail, and she cringed. She did not exactly want to smell like chicken soup, no.

"Use the shower up here and I'll have Yumi wash your clothes."

"I-"

"It's just a shower. I  _promise_  I won't join you… unless you want me too?"

"No, not really," she replied with glaring eyes as she snatched the clothes away from him. It was not ideal, but she would much prefer getting cleaned up. It would also let her get far away from his nakedness. It was a win-win right?

"Where's the -"

"Door in here," he said pointing at the bathroom connected to his room.

"Right."

She swallowed hard before she walked away from him, trying to shield her mind from the new images his naked form had provided her. The second she was inside she slammed her back against the door and slid down to her rear. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she could feel a tingling swiping up from the back of her neck to her face. She had  _felt_  it but seeing it was something entirely different. He had walked around as though it was nothing, as if it were normal. It begged to reason that he was well versed in the pleasures of the flesh. This was nothing new for him. It was unsettling for her though. She had seen Hojo's before… and she thought that was what it was supposed to look like. After seeing Kouga's -  _boy had she been wrong_.

Yup, time to shower. Yep, yep a good shower to clear her head.

She quickly unbuttoned her jeans and slipped out of them, peeling them away from her skin. They bundled up at her ankles and she kicked them off. She then reached for the zipper of her shirt -  _and she couldn't reach it_. Her mother had helped her zip up today. Oh, for fuck's sake. Really? So her choices were to shower with it on… or ask  _him_  for his help?  _Goddamn it_. Maybe he was gone? Resignation weight heavy on her body as she dragged her feet to the door, pressing her ear to it. "Hm, Kouga?" she tried.

"What's up?" she heard from the other side.

"I- could you help me?" It was not until she finished her question that she realized; she was in her underwear. "Wa-"

But the word never made it out of her mouth. The door opened, Kouga standing on the other side wearing underwear - at least - and he was staring at her. Meanwhile, she was left to be a blabbering idiot. "I- I can't unzip," she said, turning around to show him his back…  _and half her ass_.

Kouga raised an eyebrow as he allowed himself to take in the sight. It was not a thong, but the blue piece of fabric barely stretched across her cheeks, leaving barely anything to the imagination. He had to say; she was catching him off guard. He did not expect her to invite him while she was in her underwear.

"Kouga?" she said when she did not hear him move.

He stared a second longer before advancing towards her. Kouga gripped at the bottom of her shirt, pulling her closer until her ass was barely brushing up against him. He put one hand on her waist while the other one pulled down on the zipper. He took his time, dragging it down slowly, until the full flesh of her back was bare to her. "You sure you don't want me to join you," he offered, each word like a warm breath on the nape of her neck.

"Very sure," she replied, staring straight ahead.

His fingers glided down her spine before he retraced his hand. He did not say another word but she heard the door close behind him.

Her legs felt wobbly.

-R-

Nearly a whole hour went by before she emerged from the bathroom. Steam escaped the smaller room as she tumbled into his bedroom, her dirty clothes in her hands. Kagome was using them to shield her chest; her previous shirt had come with an integrated bra. Kouga's black shirt, on the other hand, did not offer the same privacy. At least it was big on her. She found him sitting on his bed, patching himself up. "Need help?" she volunteered as she twirled her wet hair into a bun.

He had not expected her to stay in there so long. "Won't say no." He could not help but take in the sight of her in his clothes. His t-shirt, his boxers. His scent would be on every inch of his skin and he almost let out a rumble of pleasure at the thought. He had scent marked her space and now he wanted to do the same with her.

"Sorry I took so long - your shower is  _amazing_." It had about 20 different settings and considering her past crappy nights, her sore muscles had welcomed it. "I don't think I have a knot left in my body."

"There's a reason it's my personal shower." He watched her struggle with what to do with her clothes and pointed to the hallway. "Dump them there, Yumi will pick them up."

She nodded and dropped her clothes by the door before joining him on the bed. She sat down and grabbed the antiseptic as she looked over his wounds… they were half the sizes they were the other day! She trailed her fingers alongside the edges of it, a frown on her face. "How?"

"I'm a youkai remember. I heal fast."

"Not fair."

He chuckled. "That and great showers. It's what I get."

She laughed. "Don't forget the shampoo. It was like washing my hair with melted marshmallows."

"That doesn't sound fun."

"Trust me, it was."

'Take it."

"What?"

"Take the shampoo."

"I'm not gonna take your shampoo."

" _Higurashi_ , it's a fucking shampoo, take it with you."

She mumbled a thank you as she re-applied the bandages to his wounds. He stayed silent as she carefully cleaned the next ones, bandaging them up like the first one. For a second, she was comfortable. Had she shared a laugh with him? He hadn't flirted with her - he had been pleasant. This was new. She was used to his aggressive approach and now, her hands were all over him and he was not saying a word about it.  _He was sick_.

"It was good." He cleared his throat. "The soup. Thanks."

"Oh, don't thank me. My mom made it. If I had made it, you'd probably be dead."

'That bad?"

"Let's say that my list of talents doesn't include cooking."

He grinned. "That's why I hire people to cook for me."

"Smart." She brought the tape to her mouth, cutting the required length and applying it to the last gauze. "All done."

"Thank you, Nurse Higurashi."

"You can be an alright patient when you try."

"I'm always wonderful."

"Sure."

"Hey - I'm not the one who barges into people's room unannounced."

" _They told me you knew_."

"Did it look like I knew?"

She buried her face in her hands. "No."

"Don't give me wrong. I  _really_  didn't mind."

She did not want to talk about his peni- his nak-  _she did not want to think about it_. "Do you live here by yourself?"

He scoffed. "Does it look like I'm ever alone?"

"I guess not. I thought it would be weird. It's such a big place."

"We need a big place, there's a lot of us."

"Wait - so everyone… they stay here?"

He shrugged. "Not everyone. Some have families and whatnot but there's room for everyone if we need it."

"Wow, that must get loud sometimes. I mean, youkais have great hearing right?"

"We soundproof the walls."

"That's probably a good idea."

"No one will hear you screaming my name."

"And there it is."

"You'd miss it if I didn't do it."

"I think you have a high opinion of yourself."

"Shouldn't I?"

"You can put a shirt on now."

"And deprive you of this?"

"I'll survive." She grabbed his red t-shirt from the bed and threw it at him.

"Stay for dinner."

"I really shouldn't stay late. My mom is gonna expect me."

She was in his bedroom, sitting on his bed after using  _his_  shower. She helped him patch up; she had  _talked_  to him. It all felt a little too overwhelming. He seemed to relax in his home; she had never seen him like this outside of this place. He was always guarded, ready to pounce. Except now. "I'll just go home when my clothes are ready."

"I doubt she would mind."

"She would."

"Would she now?"

_Why did that sound like a challenge_? Unfortunately for her, he was much faster than she was. He grabbed her phone from the bed and then jumped to his feet so he could keep it out of her reach.

"What are you doing?"

He did not respond to her, instead, he held her down by the shoulder as he selected the desired contact. When Kagome heard the ringing, her eyes widened. "Are you-"

"Hi Mrs. Higurashi, it's Kouga." He laughed. "I am much better, thanks to your soup. I can't thank you enough." Kagome popped her lips. "Of course. She is here. Actually, I wanted your permission to have her over for dinner. I have friends and family coming and we will have a big feast. I was wondering if it was okay with you if she got home a little later? I promise, I will have her back home safely." He looked down at Kagome, victory shining in his eyes. "Perfect, thank you Mrs. Higurashi."

Kouga pressed red  _end_  call button before giving Kagome her phone back. If looks could kill, she would have melted him down to a puddle.

"Guess you have to stay now," he said with a grin.

"I guess so."

Goddamn it.

-R-


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind you not. I am being tortured.

 

The first part of her evening had been quite uneventful. Kagome had asked if she could stay upstairs while her clothe dried and he had more than readily accepted. He had actually been trying to think of something to keep her upstairs. As soon as she had left the bathroom he had noticed one thing; no bra. He was not too keen on having her around everyone like that. He had set up the TV for her while he had gone downstairs to make sure everything went smoothly and that everyone was on their best behaviour. Once her clothes had dried, she had joined them. Obviously, he had spared no food expensive, bringing him traiteur food and setting up a buffet. He did not know what she liked to eat, but it was impossible for her to not find something to her taste.

He had warned everyone to keep their mouth shut and to treat her nicely.

It turned out it did not have to do that.

Following the little incident, the pack had seen her loyalty and most of them were quite welcoming to her. Some of them stopped by the chat with her but she mostly hung with the mates. It relaxed him since - well  _they knew_  what theirs mates and husbands were up to but most of them pretended they did not know. A few helped out but the majority enjoyed the lifestyle without asking themselves any questions. He was not ready to welcome her into the deep folds of what they did. She was not ready for it and he did not want to see her run away scared. As a matter of fact, despite the little boost he wanted from her soon to be developed powers, he had no intention of putting her in harm's ways. She would not get hurt because of him. He already disliked that she was the one who found him in such a pitiful state. His face hurt like a bitch and some motions were painful but he tried to hide it.

The fact that he was not constantly hovering over her shoulder allowed Kagome to get to know people a little bit. Although, she did not have the first clue what they were talking about most of the time. Still. She was hoping she could pick up a few things here and there. It also let her observe Kouga in his own environment. He was  _different_. He had spent the first portion of the evening walking from one person to the other, gentle brushes of the fingers or touching which led her to believe he was checking up on them. He made sure everyone had enough food, he made sure someone was watching over the youngest one in another room. He was ensuring everyone's safety. His pack was his priority.

"So…  _Kouga_ , huh?"

"What about Kouga?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Nothing," the youkai said with a shrug of the shoulders. "It's just been a while since we've seen him hang around the same female for a while."

"What do you mean?"

She giggled. "Let's just say Kouga goes through them… he doesn't keep the same one very long. He gets bored after a day."

"He would have probably left me alone if I had slept with him. He just keeps hanging around because he hasn't gotten what he wanted," Kagome explained. She had figured that Kouga was quite the ladies man.

The girl chuckled. "One thing is for sure; I think he's  _saving_  himself. Doesn't seem like he got laid in a while." She nudged Kagome in the ribs. "I hope you learned some cool tricks because I think he's seen them all."

Heat rose to her face, forcing her to look away from the other woman.  _Her experience was_ … well… hooking up with Inuyasha had failed miserably and had not gotten very far… and Hojo.  _Hojo_  was an experience wasn't he? She had never been  _sure_. "I-I'm not gonna sleep with him."

"Okaaay."

Kagome's fingers tightened around her drink -  _juice_ , she didn't wanna get drunk - and she glanced around the room. If it were not for the kidnapping and Kouga's busted face, she could almost think that everyone was normal. They dressed nicely, they behaved properly. It made it confusing to understand exactly what was happening here. Although if she looked at everyone, she was beginning to realize that very few of them had tattoos and no one had as many as Kouga. Why was that? She had seen more of them while tending to his wounds but most of them were symbols and scripts and they were hard to understand. Did they represent something like the one he had given her? Was it something he had to do because he was in charge? A lot of them were damaged by scars as well…

She could picture his chest, the ink clashing against his tan skin. Most of the artwork's lines followed his body's natural lines and muscles…  _why was she thinking about his chest_?

"You okay?" the youkai asked her with a smirk on her face.

_Why did youkais have sensitive noses?_  It wasn't like she was thinking about him that way. His tattoos intrigued her. Were they all spells created by her grandfather? Those were the things she had initially wanted to learn… Maybe she could ask him later. She brought the drink to her lips, finishing it's content. It was a little sweet for her taste, but it would do for now.

Time passed and Kagome tried to do her best to collect information as she could while Kouga was sitting far from her. He had not seen her in the last hour or so, but he had felt her aura. No outside harm would come to her here and he did not think anyone in here was stupid enough to do anything. He was currently sitting on the black leather couch, a drink in his hand while Ginta, Hakkaku, Izu, Yumi and Senzu were crowding him. Some lesser ranks were also standing nearby, waiting for an opportunity. It was rare that he could  _relax_. There was always something wrong, something that came up and that he had to take care of and everything was a game. It was also important right now that he did not show weakness. He was attacked, they had a plan to retaliate, and he needed to show his pack that he was stronger than ever. Kagome's help in his healing process that been tremendous, and he needed to find a way to ask her exactly how she treated his wounds that night.

"So, it seems our eternal bachelor has found himself a new target," Ginta volunteer as he swirled the brown liquid of his drink into his glass.

Kouga eyed him but said nothing. Instead, he opted for another sip of his drink. What was this? His fourth? The stuff was strong - strong enough to eventually buzz a youkai but he would never be drunk.

"I don't think she's a target," Hakkaku pitched in.

"Then what is she?"

"Challenge. He was to rectify his bruised pride. Kouga doesn't like being turned down."

"What I wanna do is none of your business."

"Did you get in her pants yet?"

"I don't see her letting him fuck her anytime soon."

"I've never seen someone turn him down like this."

" _Enough_ ," he warned. "We don't all want a whore who spreads her legs for everyone."  _It_  was time to change the subject and Ginta was the one to do it. "I think we should do more patrols from now on."

"What so we can get jumped?"

"I think that's just what the spider wants us to do."

Kouga brought fingers to his temples, gently rubbing them. They were going to give him a headache. This was not an issue they could solve by having some useless chitchat on a Saturday night. The spider carefully planned each and every move he made. If he had Kouga attacked, it was for a reason and he was expecting them to do  _something_  that would eventually benefit him somehow. He just needed to get inside of his head and figure it out.

The surrounding chatter was interrupted as quiet footsteps alerted them of someone approaching their circle. No one came without an invitation -  _except someone who did not know the rules_. Kagome made her way between Ginta and Hakkaku, walking in his direction, her eyes focused on his chest.

"Everything alright?" he asked as he took in her weird gaze.

"Do your tattoos have meaning?"

_What now_. He blinked, processing her words and making sure she was serious.  _She was_. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. "Hm, yeah." Why did she suddenly care about his tattoos? What the fuck had they been talking about?

"Can I sit?"

"Thought you wouldn't ask," he said with a chuckle.

Except  _where_  she sat was not where he expected. He watched, baffled, as she straddled his legs, sitting on him, facing him. She tugged at the hem of his shirt, pulling it down to reveal part of his chest piece. "What does this one mean?"

Was this a joke? A prank? Were they using her to play a prank on him because they were too much of a pussy to do it themselves and they knew there would be no repercussions for her? "It's a secret," he settled on answering.

"You know what?" she uttered, speaking each word slowly. "You're always making deals to get what you want. Let's make a deal then. A kiss for a secret."

Her words had yet to register by the time she was pressing her lips to his. Her body moulded to his, her back arching even more  _begging_  him to grip at her rear. Her arms came up to wrap themselves around his neck, her fingers sprawling through them, threatening to break apart his ponytail. He allowed his drink to spill on the couch - because who gave a  _fuck_  about that couch right now - and he put one hand on her ass, the other holding her head close to his as he began tasting her mouth. If this was a prank, he didn't give a  _shit_  right now. He could feel everyone's watchful eyes on them but  _fuck them_. She felt warm against his chest, her hands palming at him with need. She tasted sweet like candy and there was… he stopped. He reluctantly lifted his hand from her ass and grabbed her shoulders to pull her away.  _He would regret this_.

"Did you drink alcohol?"

She shook her head, her lips swollen from their kiss. "I don't drink alcohol."

It was impossible.  _He tasted it_. Maybe she had a sip right before coming over… and then it was fine. Then he could let her straddle him, let her kiss him.

"I had juice."

Juice? "What juice?"

She tilted her head to the side, tapping at her chin. "It was hm, blue it was -  _oh this one_ ," she said as she watched a girl walk by with one in her hands. Without thinking, she bended backwards and successfully stole the drink from the girl. The blonde was about to say something when she noticed  _who_  had taken it from her. She looked at Kagome, then Kouga, and simply smiled before walking away. "It was this!" Kagome said proudly as she handed him the drink.

Kouga did not even need to drink it. He just brought it close to his nose and the scent of alcohol became overpowering. "Yeah, that's not juice."

"Are you sure?"

He looked at her, almost pouting while she sat on him, her hair messy from their kiss.  _Fuck_.

"I'm sure." He moved his head to the side, looking to the crowd. "Who the fuck gave her alcohol?"

But he was met with pure silence. Of fucking course.

"Kouga, what's the big deal? So she's a little bit tipsy. It seems to be working in your favour."

"I'm not doing this while she's drunk you idiot." What would be the point? There was no chase; there was no prize. There was no honour in getting a woman who was not in her clear mind. He had done his share of awful things throughout the years but hooking up with Kagome while she was drunk would not be one of them.

"I'm not  _drunk_ ," she whined.

"Then why are you on top of me?"

"You said I could sit." Now that he knew of her current state of mind, he could  _hear_  the sluggishness in her words.

"You wouldn't wanna sit on me," he pointed out.

"You don't know what I want."

He chuckled. "I know  _exactly_  what you want _."_

She leaned towards him, her cheek pressed to his. Her lips found his ear. "And I know what  _you_  want…"

Kagome's hand laid flat across his chest as she slowly dipped it towards his pants, her fingers tangling with his belt. His blood rushed to his cock and he could feel himself getting hard.  _Nope_. He grabbed her wrist, preventing her from reaching her goal. " _No."_

His voice was bossy, commanding, and she shivered.

"Off you go," he said as he yanked her on the couch and off of his laps. He could tell everyone was holding back snickers enjoying his current predicament.

"You're no fun. You get to make deals and do whatever you want, and I can't?" How many times did he take advantage and kiss her?

"I'm no fun," he said with a chuckle. "We'll see how much fun you are tomorrow."

"Who cares. It's not like I wanted to have sex with you."

"Coulda fooled me."

She sat up straight on the couch, pulling down on her shirt. Kouga the man whore. Kouga who slept around with a bunch of women and who knew his way under the sheets. That was how he was. According to everyone. If they knew so much, maybe they could clear up something for her. They would be honest with her wouldn't they? This was something that had been bugging her for years, something she had never even discussed with Sango because she had been too ashamed to ask. Plus, Sango would have probably spared her feeling. This was better. They didn't know her. They would tell her the truth. "Anyone here has had sex?" she asked, looking at each guy in the circle - except Kouga.

Was it a joke? "Higurashi, all of these men have had sex plenty of times."

"Okay  _good_. I have a question."

"A sex question?" Ginta clarified.

"Yes." She clapped her hands together. "Okay, let's say you're having sex with a girl. And you try to - you know… but it doesn't go in very well."

"What do you mean it doesn't go in?" Hakkaku asked, confused.

"I mean you try to put it but like… hmmm." She held up her fingers, showing a three centimetres. "This goes in but the rest doesn't."

"Are we talking a big guy?"

"No, no, I'm not talking Kouga size. I'm talking regular size."

All eyes turned on Kouga who was making no effort to hide the smirk that had drawn up on his face.

"Okay, so  _not Kouga size_ ," Ginta repeated, holding back a snicker. "You're welcome by the way," he threw Kouga's way. "And he couldn't fit in?"

She shook her head. "He just kept on pushing that part for a while…"

"Then I'd say he didn't get his girl wet enough," Kouga volunteered.

The word  _dessert_  popped in her head as a warmth puddled in her stomach. "But then - does it count as sex?"

"What do you mean?"

"Would you say they've had sex?"

"I guess? I mean, I would most likely chalk it up to a really bad night - but hey, I've never had that happen to me," Hakkaku replied as he leaned back in his chair.

"So you'd say the girl is not a virgin anymore."

"I'd say she's not, and that's a lousy way to lose it."

It seemed to be a consensus around the room. Her shoulders dropped, and she pinched her lips together before slumping into the couch.

"Why?" Kouga asked, keeping the stolen drink in his hand and away from her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I was just trying to figure out if I was a virgin or not."

Silence befell upon the room once more. "Wait- sis, that was  _your_  story?"

She nodded. "We kinda went our own way after that - and I guess he told people we did… and I don't know. I guess I assumed we did, and it was just  _really_ bad." She sighed. "Like really bad. I guess it was. I mean it did hurt."

Ginta rubbed his face with his hand before making eye contact with Kouga "Okay, now you really have to fuck the poor girl. I feel really bad for her."

"Then I tried again - but  _he turned me down_."

"Who turned you down?" Some guy had the chance to get with  _her_  and he said no? Who was the fucking idiot who would do that?

"It's okay, it's not Inuyasha's fault - it wasn't gonna work."

_Inuyasha_  why did that sound familiar? He knew he had heard that name before but he couldn't put a face to the name. Hmm…

"And that didn't happen so… And now Kouga turned me down."

"Woaw, woaw," he said, his face tightening as his eyes narrowed. " _I didn't turn you down_."

Kagome looked at the youkais that surrounded them. "Did he not push me off?"

Ginta chuckled; oh yeah,  _he liked her_. "I mean, she's right. You did."

"Thank you."

"Yeah,  _thank you Ginta_ ," Kouga replied through gritted teeth.

"Listen, I'm just not about to fuck a drunk chick."

"So you force me to kiss you. You ignore  _all_  personal boundaries… but this is too much?"

"She makes a valid point."

"Alright, that's it. Time for bed."

He did not give her a chance to react before he grabbed her by the waist and slugged her over his shoulders, her legs kicking in the air and her arms hanging down the length of his chest. " _Hey_ ," she protested, but he ignored her.

Everyone began cheering, passing more comments than he wanted to hear.  _Go get some. Go get her_. He didn't need that right now. Her scent was invading his nose, and he was cursing every god he could think of that the woman he had tossed over his shoulder was not sober. He ignored her protests as he climbed up the stairs and despite the  _many_  attempts she made at kicking him; he came out untouched. Once he reached his bedroom, he slammed the door shut - earning him another round of applause - and he put her down on her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she tried to steady herself, her head spinning from the shaking of the stairs and his man handling.

It was clear to everyone in the pack that she was  _his_ to take _._ However, that did not mean he was at ease leaving her in another room by herself in this state. He was keeping her here for her safety - and maybe for his sanity too…

Kagome glided her left hand across the cherry wood dresser in front of her, observing the near bare wall. All there was hanging there was some sort of weird metal pole. "What is that?" she asked, never looking away from it.

"It's what I'm gonna use to tie you up and get my  _dessert_." His voice was low, husky, sending shivers down her spine.

She turned to look at him, a smile on her face. He had  _honour_  he said. He messed with her time and time again. He made her blush; he made her mad. And now, he was defenceless. Kagome gripped the edge of the dresser and hop on it, her legs dangling from it. She lifted her arms above her hand, intertwining them. " _Like this_?"

He would die. She would kill him. Her legs were open just enough that he could slide between them and her back was arched, her breasts rising with each breath she took. He wanted to take her. "Yeah," he croaked out. Kouga cleared his throat. "Get down."

It sounded like an order. He was using his  _alpha_  voice, that deep, rich voice that made her insides tingle. "Make me."

For fuck's sake. "Kagome -  _get down_."

"I said  _make me_."

It was her turn to have the upper hand for once.

A gust of wind threatened her balance as he rushed to grip her by the waist. He wrapped one arm around her, lifting her from the dresser and in response, she wrapped her legs around him. He guided her to the wall, slamming her back into it. His arm slowly retracted itself and he used his grip to lower her legs back down to the ground.  _Danger. Danger_. She offered him a slight resistance but her strength was no match for his.

"You didn't answer me."

"About what?"

"Your tattoos," she said, her fingers flicking the hem of his shirt. "Are they spells like the one you gave me?"

"Some of them."

"Are they from my grandpa?"

"Yeah."

"What do they do?"

"You're not there yet."

"I feel like I haven't gotten a proper thank you for helping you out." Every answer was a mystery and everything she wanted to know, he was keeping from her.

He leaned forward, his arm against the wall for support, and he rested the side of his head against hers. "I don't mind waking you up tomorrow with a nice  _thank you_."

"That doesn't get me anything now. I've been putting up with you."

"Putting up with me?" he repeated with a chuckle.

"Can I see them?" she asked, already grabbing at the hem, ready to lift it up.

What was the harm? Maybe it would keep her distracted long enough that he could get her in bed - untouched. "Sure."

She began pulling up his shirt, slowly revealing his tan skin, and he only assisted her when she reached his underarms. He grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it above his head before discarding it on the ground. He pulled back from her and watched her as her eyes darted around from tattoo to tattoo. "This one," she said as she pointed to the flower inked on his left pectoral. "It's a spell. I can feel it."

He chuckled. "I guess spending all that time with Miroku wasn't a waste."

"Yeah - when he's not asking me to bear his children.""

"He  _what_?"

"He's joking," she said, trailing her fingertips downwards to another tattoo. Her fingers brushed up over one of his wounds; it was open. Actually, it had bled recently. "You're not being careful," she warned.

"Sorry, nurse."

"You're never gonna get better if you're not careful."

"Why do you care if I get better?"

"You're right, I don't." There was one tattoo she could not fully see as some of it was disappearing beneath his belt. She had barely reached his navel that he grabbed her fingers, stopping her motions.

"Kagome…"

He didn't use her name often.

"Come on, I'm just looking. Plus, we both know you're just flirting with me because I said no. The second you would have the chance to  _fuck_  me, you'd take it and then forget about me."

"Is that what you think?"

She nodded. "You've been flirting with me since you met me."

"So?"

"I'm a distraction. A game you're playing."

Kouga put his hand on her hip, his fingers digging into the exposed flesh. "Now who says I'd only fuck you once… If I just wanted  _one taste_ …" he began, his breaths harsh. "Wouldn't I just fuck you right now? Why would I care that you're drunk?" He tangled his nose in her locks, inhaling her sweet scent. "Why wouldn't I rip your pants off, shove those cute little blue panties aside and ram my cock inside of you?"

"I-i"

"I could just fuck you raw against this wall, force you to scream my name over, and  _over_  again. I'd finally get what I want. I'd get to taste you." He nipped at her earlobe, his control slipping as he was dying to break free from the constraints of his  _fucking_  pants. "We both know you want to… Why don't you let it go?"

"Because -"

"Because then you'll have given in? Why don't you?"

Her head was buzzing and she couldn't tell if it was from him and his proximity or the alcohol. "K-kouga."

"I could take you right now. But I'm not gonna do that."

She could feel the wetness spreading between her legs as well as the stabbing in her chest. Hurt dripped from his words and it was suffocating. "You're always flirting and a little alcohol is stopping you? Why don't you just fuck one of the women down there then?"

"Because I want you. You're my little prize." He scoffed. "Do you know the amount of women - scratch that, do you know the amount of people who ever stood up to me like you did?  _Zero_."

She had heard of passion before. It was what usually drove young teenagers to rip their clothes and have sex- well that and hormones. A raw passion, something that destroyed you from the inside, something you  _needed_  to have. She had never known that. Not with Hojo, not with Inuyasha. No one ever made her insides burn, her head spin or her heart leap. He just had. It was insane; she didn't know him. She didn't know how far he could go, what kind of person he was. How could he be so sure about her? A sexual attraction she could understand. Anything more than that? He had been coming on so strong, so intense.

Kouga buried his face in her neck. "Is that what you want?"

He pressed his mouth to that sensitive spot on her neck, the pulsing of her heart throbbing against his lips.

She meant to speak, say a word. Instead, she moaned.

It echoed in his ears and he found it difficult to maintain his control. At some point - he didn't know when - he started ravaging her neck. He lapped at the skin, peppering kisses along the column of her throat, his fangs nipping at the flesh. He wanted to taste every  _inch_  of her. She was melting against him, his arm wrapped around her being the only thing that was keeping her standing. And there were moans - so  _many fucking_ moans, he thought he would lose his mind.  _Back away_ , that was what he was telling himself but instead, his free hand glided down to her thighs, grasping it. As if she seemed to understand, she threw her legs around his waist, digging his painful erection into her clothed core. Kouga kissed her collarbone, the fullness of her breasts pressing into his chin.  _He would take her_. She would let him. He grazed his fangs the length of her throat, her whole body becoming still under his ministrations.

He could hear her jerky breaths, the shallowness with which she filled her lungs.  _He had to do it again_. He did.

This time, she moaned.  _His name_. "K-ouga."

His grip on her thighs hardened to the point where he believed he might leave a mark.  _It was the only thing keeping him sane_.

There was a loud  _thud, and_  a moment passed before Kagome registered the fact that she was sitting on the ground. She was faintly aware of a door slamming, which she assumed was the bathroom.  _What?_

In the room right next to her, Kouga was quickly stripping himself from his pants and his boxers, kicking them far away from him. He jumped in the shower and turned it on - leaving the water at cold. A cold shower was what he needed. He pressed his palms to the wall, his breathing out of control.  _He had almost slipped_. All he could hear in his head was the sound of her moaning his name. If she had not drank, he would have her naked on his bed at this very moment.  _Fuck_. He punched the wall, feeling his fist caving in, but he did not care. His cock was throbbing with need, the memory of her soft skin lingering on his fingertips.  _Fuck it_. He wrapped his fingers around his erection, slowly stroking himself. He recalled the taste of her skin, the sound of her moans, the heat coming from between her legs… His motions became faster and faster, grunts coming out as he felt the pressure buildup.

For weeks now he had been teased. He had tasted but never savoured. He was so fucking close to his prize, but she was keeping herself from him.

Why? She wanted him.

And why couldn't he stop going after her? She was like a fucking drug, a need. He wanted to bury his cock in her wet folds; he wanted to show her climax while her body trembled beneath his. He wanted to shove her on all four, fucking her like a good bitch. He wanted her scent all over his bed. He wanted to have her tangled up in his body every morning. He'd never been obsessed like this.

She'd be his to take, to pleasure, no one else could own her body like her could.

He threw his head backwards as his release overflew him, his cum covering his fingers as he kept stroking his cock. Harsh breaths burned his lungs as he allowed his head to hit the ceramic wall of the shower. This woman was going to fucking kill him. He had to go back in there and  _not_  fuck her, even though her body was begging him - even though  _she_  was begging him. He reached out for the knob, turning off the water. He stayed there, water dripping from his long hair. Part of him wanted to stay here but after a few minutes, he convinced himself to walk out. As he reached out for a nearby towel, he realized he had brought no change of clothes. Going out there fucking naked? He wrapped the towel tightly around his waist, approaching the door. He tried to listen for sounds, or anything showing if she was waiting for him on the other side of the door, but he couldn't hear anything.

Kouga quietly turned the handle and peeked inside his bedroom.  _Oh_. There she was, sprawled diagonally across his bed, her pants gone, leaving her in those little blue panties. She was sleeping her stomach, the glory of her rear revealed to him. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.  _Thank God_. Although the sight of her was appetizing, this he could handle a lot better. He was stealthy as he manoeuvred his way to his drawers, grabbing a pair of briefs for himself. He slid the red fabric over his naked form, his towel discarded on the ground. She might be asleep, but  _someone_  had to keep an eye on her. Plus, if it could avoid him going back downstairs…

He did not have to think about twice as he joined her in the bed. Kouga wrapped his arms around her body and her first reaction was to nestle against his chest, her small hands on his hips.

There was a tug, like his throat was clamping up for a second, but then he could breathe again.

What the hell?

-R-

Fire.

Kagome's body was on fire. There was a lingering touch all over her skin, taunting her. Her mind was hazy, like a dream. She could feel warmth coming from behind her and she stretched and pressed into it, her lips parting. There was a rocking on her hips, lost moans on her lips. It felt good. She tilted her neck to the left, kisses on her throat. She didn't wanna wake up. Her head was buzzing, pulsating with a foreign pain. Her body was throbbing, and it felt like hands were caressing every inch of her. This time she moaned louder as she gave into the feelings. Her nipples were hard while a wave of wetness spread between her legs.  _More_.

This was  _not_  the wake up call he had expected. A gentle rock of the hips had woken him up from his slumber. Her scent had brought his cock to life as she had pushed her ass into his erection. Waking up to her moans had sent him over the edge, the sexual frustration of the previous night unleashing itself. She wasn't drunk now. It took him a second but quickly enough, his hands were everywhere; caressing her stomach, kneading her breasts, flickering her nipples.

As Kagome fought the urge to rub her thighs together, a wave of reality hit her. The hands felt too warm, the mouth on her neck too moist… She jumped up from the bed, falling on her back. Her chest was heaving as she turned her head to see a  _very_  focused Kouga. His eyes were narrowed, filled with need as he watched her face, confused about her reaction. "Oh god," she said, burying her face in her hands. "Not dreaming."

And then she heard a chuckle.

"I was gonna be offended but, I mean, if you're having sex dreams about me, I'll take it."

Yup. Dying. She was dying. Maybe that window was high enough that she could throw herself from it.

"I- I… I'm _not_  wearing pants," she pointed out as she felt the cold air running across her skin.

"Don't blame that one on me," he said as he sat up in the bed, his erection more than obvious through his tight briefs. "You were like that when I came out of the shower. Waiting for me on my bed."

"We- what…" Except for a few hazy memories, everything was fairly clear. Although she didn't remember falling asleep. But - the kissing… "I sat on you."

"Yes you did," he said with a grin.

"I ki- ohmygod." She came on to him, she kissed him… and… and he didn't do anything. "Thanks."

"For?"

"Turning me down. Pushing me away."

"I wouldn't take advantage of you like that."

"I know."

It was strange; it only lasted a second, but he felt a  _pinch_  in his chest. She trusted him.

A knock on the door prevented the conversation from going any further. The second it echoed in the room, Kagome heard a quiet snarl coming from Kouga. He jumped to his feet, heading for the door with a fury she had never seen in him before. He swung the door open violently, nearly causing the knob to lodge in the door. He had a  _tense_  evening, and now he was in bed with his woman and  _this_  - ugh Ginta interrupted him.

On the other side of the door, his beta was trembling. He had gotten the short straw; he was the one who had to interrupt his alpha while he was  _clearly_  busy - if the scent in the room and his erection were any sign - but it had to be done.

"What?"

"I- I'm sorry, it's just hm…" Kagome's movements caught his attention, and he tilted his head to the left, looking at her. His gaze caused her to yelp, and it dawned on her that she was in her  _panties_. She leaned forward, desperately clutching at the blanket.

Possessively, Kouga moved into Ginta's line of sight, his fangs poking out of his lips. " _This better be good_." He wanted to rip him apart for looking at her.

"H-" fuck, he hadn't meant to look at her! "We have a talker. He started spilling some shit."

"Now?"

"Last night."

"Fuck." The little fantasy was shattered; he had to go back to the real world. "Get her home."

"Yes."

"Actually, get someone else to do it."

"Kouga, I would never -"

"I said someone else."

"Yes, boss."

He exhaled deeply before turning around. "Someone is gonna drive you home."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I gotta go."

"Kouga?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't do anything stupid."

He smirked. "Don't worry."

It was time for payback.

-R-


	8. Chapter 8

 

"Back up, back up," Sango said as she threw her hands in front of her. " _I'm sorry_ , you're telling me this  _guy_  has been after you - he's slept over, you slept over, you saw him naked, you  _made_  out -  _more than once_ … and this is the first I'm hearing about this?"

The overwhelming weight of the sequence of actions that had led her to  _make out_  with Kouga had been too much for Kagome to bear. She had to share it with someone. Sango was her best friend; the person who would judge her the less no matter the stupid things she had done so far. Obviously, Kagome had left out some details; the mob, the tattoo, the injuries, the kidnapping… but Sango hadn't noticed that her story had some holes. Nope, she was solely focused on the sexual parts of her story. She wanted to hide her face in her hands and wait until sweet sweet death came knocking at her door. Why had she thought this was a good idea?

"Who's this guy? How did you meet him?"

"Hm, well, you've sorta met him."

"WHAT?"

She groaned. "He was the one - "

"AT SCHOOL!" Sango slammed down on her own thigh. " _I knew something was up with that_." She offered Kagome a bemused smile. "I retract my previous statement - a  _hot_  guy has been after you. Wait, how did you meet?"

_Apparently_ , she would have to use Kouga's lie for this. "Well - at my grandpa's centre."

"Wait human or youkai?"

"Youkai?" she mumbled.

Sango bursted into laughter. "You've been working your way up the ladder. Human, half-youkai, youkai. From the sound of it though,  _he_  won't disappoint."

" _Ugh_ , it was - it was stupid."

"Making out with him was stupid?"

"All of it!"

"Why?"

"Because - it… it wouldn't work. And he doesn't want a relationship. And he's really not… the type of guy I'm looking for…" He was brash, arrogant, flirty, hot headed… and he cared. And his pack was everything to him and he was protective… okay so he had some qualities. Still. It was not a viable option.

"So don't date the guy!" She shrugged her shoulders. "You've tried dating. Twice. It didn't work. Maybe you need a little break."

"I can't - I can't just switch off my feelings."

"So you  _have_  feelings for him."

"No - ugh!" She let herself fall forward on her bed, landing face first. "I just meant I need feelings," she mumbled against her comforter.

"Yeah, I didn't get any of that."

Kagome used her palms to push herself back up in a sitting position. "I just don't work like that. I can't just - do that without feeling it. I can't just  _have sex_  with him and then move on with my life…"

"So what's so wrong with him?"

He killed a lot of people? He was dangerous. He was involved with dangerous people. He was a skirt chaser - despite what he said. She could not believe he would hit on her this intensely without it being a repeated pattern. He didn't take advantage because he had honor. "We're just different."

"And you and Inuyasha were the same? Hojo?"

"No - but…"

"I think you're just trying to avoid this. Kagome I know you… You have to at least feel attracted to him."

"I'm - not."

"Now you're just lying." She threw herself backwards in the pillows. "What would be the harm? Do something different this time!" She had watched Kagome bend herself backwards to help and support everyone, and most of the time, she ended up with the short end of the stick. "Have fun, do something that feels good! If you don't like it, don't do it again."

"Sango…"

"Come on! You've already made out with the guy! What harm could it do if you…tried to see if you liked it!"

"I don't think I wanna play with fire with this guy."

Alright - so she had fallen prey to her own body's temptations a few times. It was confusing;  _he_  was confusing. She could not get a grasp on him, she could not figure out the reality from the lie, the safety from the danger. She was convinced that nothing good could come from getting tangled with him. She needed to create a distance and stay away. It was the best thing all around.

"Let's test him."

"What?"

"You think you're just another number to add to the list?"

"Yes."

"And you have  _no_  feelings for him whatsoever right?"

"Right."

"Let's send him a picture."

"A what?"

"A picture!"

"Sango I am  _not_  sending a nude!" Kagome  _almost_  screamed before she realized that was not the kind of thing she wanted to be screaming in her house with her mother nearby.

Sango rolled her eyes. "Not a nude… maybe just… something… okay, what about your chest… not naked! You keep your bra on."

"And how does that test him exactly?"

"We send him another one from the internet. You ask him which one looks better. We crop the face, we crop yours, and we see."

"We see what?"

"That he's not looking for a random fuck but actually wants  _you_."

"You think he can tell my  _chest_  apart from some stranger's?"

"From what you've told me, he  _has_  to know what it looks like by now."

"Sango, this is stupid," Kagome said as she grabbed her pink pillow from the bed, wrapping her arms around it. Sending Kouga a picture… She would never hear the end of it! Not only that but it would be sending the wrong message. No, there was no way she could do that. She had never done that in her life. Plus she didn't care to find out if he was serious, or if he was interested. It didn't matter because she didn't want to get involved in whatever he had going in. She had accepted to be part of this only because she wanted to know more about her family. It was never meant to be a permanent arrangement. The sooner he understood that it would never happen, the easier they would move on from it all.

"I'm not doing it."

"Live a little. Everyone has sent a photo."

"To someone they care about."

"Kagome, the man wants to  _eat_  you up. You teased him. The less you could do is entertain him a little."

"I don't think so."

"If you do this, I'll never bring it up again."

Inuyasha had pursued Kagome. Hojo had pursued Kagome. Her friend had never been the one to head first into  _flirting_ , relationship or anything. She always kept her feelings to herself, always considering the other person first. She was more  _daring_ , more open in recent days, and Sango could not help but feel like part of it was due to the new man in her life. So what if it all turned out to be a sex adventures with no meaning? She needed that too…

"Never, ever again?"

"Never, ever again."

She could not believe she was about to do this… "Fine." Why was it that everyone kept getting a better deal than her?

"Great! Take that shirt off Miss!"

This was so embarrassing. She was pretty convinced that when people did this, it was by themselves and it wasn't their best friend who was taking the photo. Her heart was thundering in her chest while she grabbed the hem of her shirt before lifting it above her head slowly. For a second, she found herself self conscious about the bra she decided to wear; it was a simple, satin black bra. "Is this okay?"

"Don't worry, I'll find something  _chaste_  for the photo. If it's too slutty he won't buy it."

_Yes_ , because the one thing she was worried about while trying to take a  _racy_  photo was being too slutty.

"Can I have your phone?"

Kagome was about to reach for her  _regular_  phone until she remembered there was no way to contact Kouga with this one. She slowly slid it under a pillow and then bend over to retrieve her other phone from her bag. She handed it to Sango who smiled brightly.

"Can you lean forward?"

"What?"

"Yeah, lean forward so I can get a better view."

Kagome held back the urge to roll her eyes.  _And yet_ , she did it. Good thing her face was not going to be on this picture because she was convinced she was as red as a tomato.  _Why was she doing this_? Was it really going to change anything? She wasn't going to sleep with him, she wasn't -  _ugh_. The flash came, blinding her for a second, and the sound of the snap echoed in her room. She sighed before covering her face with her hands;  _this was stupid_. "Sango…" she groaned.

"Hm?" Sango tilted her head, looking at the picture. Seemed good enough.

"Delete it."

"What?"

"I- it was stupid."

"Kagome…"

"Just - I don't need. It's gonna start something and I'd rather not go down that road."

"Are you sure? I think -"

"I'm sure."

Sango's shoulders slumped forward; she had been so close to getting her out of her little shell. She grabbed her cellphone as she shook her head, ready to respect Kagome's decision. "Sure, sure?" she tried one more time.

"Very sure," Kagome said as she threw herself backwards on the bed. It had been a stupid decision from the start and she could only be glad that she stopped it before it derailed. The things Kouga would have thought if she had sent it - it would have never ended. She had already given him enough material for a lifetime of flirting. She didn't need to add fuel to the fire.

" _Oh_." Sango cleared her throat and Kagome opened one eye. "Oops."

"Oops?" Kagome said as she flung her body forward into a sitting position. "What do you mean  _oops_?"

"I - Hm. I might have —"Sango avoided Kagome's glance instead opting to stare down at the phone. "I might have sent it."

" _What_?"

"I can delete it!" she shouted as she began searching for the  _delete for everyone_  button. Oh god - Kagome was going to  _fucking_  murder her _. "I-"_ Sango pressed a few buttons before putting the phone on the bed, face down. "Kagome - I didn't - I swear it was an accident."

Kagome exhaled loudly against her hands, her heart racing. "Please tell me you deleted it?"

"I-I think so."

_"Oh, so it's that kind of call huh."_

That voice. She knew that voice. Her face paled as she leaned towards the phone, watching it as though it would blow open.

_"A little to the left_."

Oh fuck. She picked up the phone from the bed, wincing as she looked at the screen.  _Yup_. She was apparently videochatting  _Kouga_. So much for  _deleting the photo_. "K-kouga," she said, almost breathless.

_"I usually like to do it in person, but I could get into it."_

He was smirking, holding the phone far enough that she could see that he was shirtless.  _He worked fast_.

"I don't think so."

_"I'm hurt. You're the one who called me up half naked."_

Half-naked? She yelped as she was reminded that she had  _yet_  to put her shirt back on. As if her friend had noticed, Kagome's shirt landed on her head. "Thanks," she whispered to Sango.

She watched as Kouga quirked an eyebrow. " _Threesome?"_

"In your dreams."

"We do a lot worse than that in my dreams."

Kagome was about to reply when she noticed something unusual; was… was that sweat? She frowned, leaning into the phone. Yes, right there, sliding down the side of his face was sweat… "Did I interrupt something?" Shirtless… sweat…

_"No worries. I've always got time for hanky panky."_

No, that wasn't it. His eyes, his blue eyes were a little darker than usual, like there was a filter of darkness over them and his chest was heaving heavily. Also wouldn't Kouga usually be all for showing  _all of himself_? "Kouga - what's going on?"

She saw him smile, a half crooked smile, an expression she had never seen on his face before. But, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

" _What's going on is this is a very slow starting sex call_."

"You-'

" _Kouga_ …"

That was Hakkaku's voice, she was sure of it.

" _Saved by the bell Higurashi. I'll collect my prize later."_

Before Kagome had a chance to protest, her screen turned black, indicating he had ended the call.  _Fuck_. What was that?

"Kagome? Everything alright?"

There was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. He was hiding something from her and she didn't know what it was. He had no shame in usually painting how  _heavy_  his lifestyle was. Why had he kept this so secretive?

"Kagome?"

But… she couldn't afford to dwell on it now. Not in front of Sango. "Sorry - yeah. I just - kinda wish I was dead right now." She slid her shirt back on, pulling it down. "He's never gonna let this go."

"Good."

Kagome was saved by the sound of Sango's phone beeping. Sango reached for it and turned it on. " _Again_?"

"What's up?"

She shook her head. "My dad and Kohaku's trip. They were supposed to do a three days training and now it's  _seven_  days." She leaned into Kagome's pillow. "Kohaku hates those training. I wonder what's gotten into dad."

"Maybe he's trying to get him interested?"

"That's not the way I'd go about it."

This time the conversation was brought to a halt by Kagome's  _phone_. Did she dare to look? It was  _the_  phone. It could only be one person. She resigned herself, picking it up from the bed. She opened the text message, only to find herself looking at a photo of  _her chest_. Wait - ' _Wanted to show you my new background ;)'_

Yep. She was gonna die of shame.

-R-

"Are you done flirting? Can we get back to this now?"

Ginta said as he peeked at his alpha. The moment the phone had rang, Kouga had walked away from their little friend. Everyone had known  _which_  of his many cellphones had rang. And they had all remained in the background, waiting for him to finish his flirting game. Except this was serious.

"We get back to it when I say we do," Kouga replied as he put his phone back in his pocket.

He would take his time with this one. He had given them false information already and Kouga wasn't playing on messing around. The longer he dragged it out, the better. This time, he wasn't leaving without the information he wanted.

Kouga stared down at the youkai, whose head was leaning forward, his black hair covering his face. The blood dripping from his injuries continued to form a puddle at his feet, the sound of the drops falling onto the concrete echoing in the quiet room. He grabbed his hair, forcing his head backwards. He had punched him enough time that his nose was nothing more than a mess of flesh in the middle of his face. "I really don't like repeating myself," he said, his tone lower than before. "If you're useless to me, then you might as well be dead."

So far, he had his life spared as he provided just enough not to be killed. After all, he was the sole survivor. As much as Kouga wanted to rip him apart, he couldn't do that until he had  _something_  to go on. He knew the spider was behind it; he knew he was the target but that wasn't enough. The spider had never liked him- why target him personally  _now_? It made little sense. There were always hits and casualties, but this was different. He had never almost died like this. He had never been the one who was the victim of such an ambush, and he knew nothing was a coincidence. The spider always carefully planned each of his moves.

" _Why_?"

But no response came from the youkai. Instead, he spat blood, which dripped down his chin and unto Kouga's arm. Kouga placed his palm flat against his enemy's chest, his claws scratching at the skin.

"Y-you can't win."

Kouga smirked. "Is that so?"

He released his hold on his hair, backing away from him. The youkai watched him, fear shining in his eyes as he lifted one leg. He kicked him in the stomach with his foot, the chair toppling backwards and taking him along with it. Kouga stepped on his chest, the weight of his body putting pressure on his ribs, the youkai's whole body trembling. "I said  _why_?" he asked again, applying more his weight down.

His lungs felt crushed, air unable to make it. "To k-ill you - I told you," he replied between gasping breaths.

"Not good enough. Why now?" Another step forward, breaking ribs this time.

"He wants to expand."

"Lie."

He had wanted to expand for years - and he had successfully done so. He didn't need him out of the way for that. He stepped off the youkai before grabbing him by the arm. Using his newfound hold on him, he used his strength to launch him into the nearby wall. The metal chair collided with the wall first, clinging as it left a dent in it. The youkai's head followed, and they heard a bone crushing sound. No one moved. They kept their distance from Kouga and the prisoner, remaining motionless.

" _I said why now_?" he roared.

"He wants what's yours."

"More lies," he growled.

They had looked at it. They had mapped out his expansions, they had looked at all recent attacks. Every little lead he had given them, they had looked into it. None of it added up; none of it made sense. There was no pattern, no clear path. Whatever he was doing, Kouga couldn't see it.

"He wants you d-dead."

"Why now?" Kouga asked, his hair falling down his shoulders, hiding some bloodstains on his body. He took quiet, controlled steps, closing the distance between them once more. "What does the spider want?" No, it was something else. "What does the spider know?"

The youkai's bottom lip was trembling. "No-nothing. He's just - spying."

Kouga grabbed his legs, a smile on his face. "Nothing?" He used his hold to flip him back into a sitting position, the youkai's head bobbing aimlessly as he did so. Once he was upright, Kouga's grip grew stronger and stronger until they heard a loud  _snap_. The youkai's lips parted, but no sound made it out. His body was shaking, his chest sunk in, and his legs… limped. Through the clothes, Kouga could feel the bone piercing through, the edges of the tibias sticking through where he had broken them.

"Nothing then, huh?"

But no sounds came from the youkai. He sat, his head thrown backwards, his lips still parted.

Kouga pushed back his hair, feeling the layer of sweat that was building up. Rage was pumping through his veins as he ignored the pain pulsing through his bed. He had not made a full recovery yet. But it didn't matter. He was getting an answer, or he was killing him. He was done playing. He was done wasting his time. They had left him for dead, powerless. If by some sheer luck  _she_  hadn't been the one to find him, to  _heal_  him, he wouldn't have pulled through the way he had. He would be in  _agony_  from the poison. He was using his gained strength to get his revenge.

He approached him once more, deciding to take advantage of his open mouth. He dug his fingers in it, gripping at the back of his teeth, his bottom lip pressing in his palm. "One more time. I want the real answer."

"Y-you think he'd tell something like me?"

The last word was barely out of his mouth that Kouga pulled down, unhinging his jaw. This time, there were screams. He was bending backwards as much as he could considering his situation, tears pouring out of his eyes as the pain became unbearable. The bottom of his face was dropping, his lips never to touch again, while his cheeks were sinking in.  _Pain_. So much pain.

"What  _do_  you know?"

He couldn't take it. He didn't wanna endure it. "If I t-talk to yy-ou, he'll kill me. I'm d-ead either way." The words were barely audible, his jaw hanging slack, the saliva leaking from the sides.

"Wrong answer."

Kouga plunged his hand in his chest, his claws shredding the flesh, breaking the bone. He could hear the youkai screaming, agony thundering through his body, as he wrapped his fingers around his heart. In one swipe, he ripped it out of his rib cage. Blood dripped all the way to his bicep, still warm. He dropped the heart to the ground, one last beat coming from it, as it splattered on the ground. "Fucking useless," he said, wiping the excess blood on his chest. "Find me someone else."

"Kouga - there was no one else."

"Another minion," he growled. "I don't give a shit if he was there or not. You find one, you bring it in." His eyes narrowed. "Or you can join that piece of shit on the floor. Understood?"

-R-

Everyone was holding their breath, feeling the thundering rage of his youki approaching. Those who could made sure they were out of view, hidden away. His youki was like a whip, unleashing itself on everything it came in contact with, no matter who or what it was. By the time Kouga came into view, bursting through the door, the blood that stained his skin had dried. His eyes were wide open, bloodshot. Adrenaline was pumping through his body, the kill still so fresh. A pointless fucking kill. Wasted time. Now they had nothing to go on, no lead. There were back at the beginning and that fucking spider had won once again.

His eyes landed on Yumi. "Where's Ayame?"

"D-downstairs."

"Tell her to come to my room."

"Y-yes."

He climbed the stairs two by two, frustration eating at him. He wanted to wash off that feeling of failure, he wanted to wrap his hand around the fucking spider's neck and watch as life left his body. He was making a fool out of him. He  _let_  him take that piece of crap. He knew it would lead to nothing. If he knew anything - he would have taken him out himself.  _Fuck_. Kouga slammed his bedroom door open and sat down on his bed. His hands went to his belt, and he slowly undid it. He unzipped them, leaning backwards until he was propped on his elbow. He was about to fucking murder someone. The scent of blood was invading his nostrils, his pride was wounded and the beast raging inside of him wanted revenge.

He heard her footsteps as she came into his room, unsure. She could never shut her mouth and now she was quiet?

He didn't want to look at her. He let his head hit the bed, and he waited. He heard her drop to her knees while her hands snuck into his boxers. Her fingers were small as she wrapped them around his erect cock. It didn't take long for her to take him into her mouth. He heard the sounds as she sucked him off, using her hand to cover the length of him that didn't fit. What the fuck was he going to do? He needed to increase surveillance, and the fee was about to go up. They couldn't keep up like this. They needed reinforcement; they needed to be spies just like that fucking cockroach was. He needed a new plan, something that would let him be ahead of the spider.

His head was spinning, his need growing with each passing second.

He vaguely became aware that he came when he heard her cough as she popped him out of her mouth.

She said something, but he didn't hear it.

This would not work.

-R-

_Soft_. Warm.

Kagome arched her back into her bed, dipping her head backwards as she felt a warmth on her thighs. Her eyes were still closed as she began to feel a heavy presence. The darkness of the night had spilled into her room and her human sight needed a few seconds before adjusting. It took a few seconds, a few blinks of the eyes before she could make out the shape in front of her.  _Kouga_. At first she watched,  _felt_  him, as he put himself between her legs with his hands on each side of her body.  _Wait_.

" _K-kouga_ ," she said, her eyes darting in the dark. She gripped at her sheets, trying to pull herself in a sitting position. "What- what are you doing here?" What time was it? How did he even get in?

"Shh," was all he said before lowering his body, his chest touching hers. " _I'm tired of waiting,"_  he whispered in her ear.

"K-kouga what are you talking about?" The grogginess of her sudden awakening was still weighing on her as she tried to process his words. He was  _warm_.

His meaning became clear when she felt his fingers against the fabric of her panties.  _What_? She lowered a hand, wrapping it around his wrist to stop him. But it didn't work. Instead, he gently rubbed, making small circles until he found the little nub he was looking for. Once he pressed it, she found her hips wanting to buckle. "K-kouga." She was trying to tell him to stop but then he was hooking a finger inside her underwear. As he rubbed her clit through the fabric, his other finger slid inside her. She tried to close her legs, but he didn't let her.

"I want my dessert," he said, nibbling at her ear.

"Kouga, I don't think…"

"You don't think what?" he said, his tone harsh. "That you want it? That you're wet?" He chuckled. "Trust me,  _you are_. You're so fucking wet," he said against her skin, his mouth trailing down the length of her throat.

She shivered under his ministrations, trying to think clearly. Pushing him off. That was the thing to do. And yet, while she was trying to will herself to push him away, her hands remained by her sides, gripping at the sheets. His lips were warm, peppering kisses along her flesh while his finger was curling inside of her. This was a bad idea. She  _had_  to stop him. Kagome felt like she could breathe again when he pulled away. He was stopping. His fingers stopped moving. She could feel the heat rising, her body drumming. She watched, eyes wide open, as he used his hand to grip at her knee, lowering himself.  _He was gonna…_

" _Kouga!_ "

But he said nothing.

Instead, he removed his finger from inside, a clear trail of  _excitement_ following and betraying her. She felt her underwear snap as he pulled it off; the feeling leaving a sting. Her hands released the crumbled sheet, and she reached for his hair, intending to stop him. Then she felt it.  _His mouth_. A silent scream was lost on her lips as he slipped his tongue inside, licking at the traces of her desire. She felt him lap a few times before he retracted his tongue, licking all the way to her clit.  _She moaned_. He encircled the little bundle of nerves, feeling it throb under his touch, before sucking on it and hearing her groan in pleasure once more. He hooked his arms around her legs, lifting them so they could rest on his shoulders; It gave him better access. He licked at her clit once more, before burying his tongue inside her cunt again.

Words.

She couldn't think of any words.

Her body was fire, melting away, her legs squeezing around his head. Her fingers were tangled in his hair, pulling at it.  _She wanted to scream_. But screaming wasn't an option.

His reach is deeper now, his tongue lapping at her folds as he feasts. His tongue curling inside of her while the pressure built up; It was too much. She could feel the need, the coiling in her stomach with each stroke of his tongue. She felt him nibble, but there was no pain; Instead, she threw her head in her pillow, unable to cope with the feelings. She was exploding from the inside, struggling with the desire to push him away and pull him in closer.

" _Kouga_."

Hearing his name from her lips, he could feel his cock throbbing.  _This_  was what he wanted. Her juices were leaking down his chin, her sweet scent being the only thing he could smell. He wanted more. She was defenceless, completely melted underneath his touch. Her hips were buckling each time he drove his tongue inside of her. She was pressing, pulling at his hair to bring him closer. He tried to keep his eyes open, watching her face; He wanted to  _see_  what he did to her. He dragged his tongue back to her clit, his fangs nibbling at it, before he sucked on it. Nails dug in his scalp but he didn't care. He released one of her legs and slid two fingers back into her awaiting cunt while his mouth remained wrap around her nub of pleasure.

" _AH!"_

She was loud. Too loud.

Kagome let go of his hair and grabbed at her sheets again. She pulled so hard, they threatened to come off from around the mattress. "P- _please_." Her head was swimming, her body was fire. She wanted more.

He smirked. She was making it too easy. "Please what, Higurashi?" he asked, his mouth pulling away from his prize but his fingers still inside of her. " _What do you want_?"

She whimpered, shaking her head. He slowed down his fingers, and he waited as she buckled her hips against his fingers, seeking the sensation. He leaned forward, pulling out ever so slightly, and licked her neck. "You have to tell me what you want."

"K-kouga."

"Me? No, I won't fuck you yet, princess."

He torturously pushed his fingers inside of her, shoving them deep inside, curling, reaching a spot she didn't even know existed. " _Tell me."_

"I-I" She didn't know. She didn't know what she was pleading for - oh  _god_. Never had she - could it even?  _Ugh_.

"Do you want more?"

She nodded.  _Yes_. That. Oh god. That.

"Say it."

"More."

He allowed her a few strokes, watching as she squirmed underneath his body.

"What else?"

Her hands lifted, and she put them on his shoulders. It was torture. She gripped at them, digging her fingers into the flesh, inflicting no pain to him. Kagome realized that if she held him like this and buckled her hips, she could replicate his motions. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she moaned.  _Up, down._  She repeated the motions, her eyes remained closed. She missed the way he was watching her using his fingers to pleasure herself. He stayed steady, taking in the sight of her short, heaved breaths, her parted lips, her dishevelled hair. His fucking cock hurt. He wanted to fuck her. He wanted to own every inch of her.

He inserted a third finger inside and watched as she finally opened her eyes. She looked into his and he could tell she was  _pleading_. Not enough. It wasn't enough.

"What else do you want?"

He felt it as she pushed down on his shoulders and he chuckled.

"Say it."

"M-mouth."

"Good girl," he said, leaving an open mouth kiss on her jaw. "Good girl."

He picked up the pace and lowered himself, her hands falling back into his hair. He licked at her clit, feeling her clench under the uncontrollable desire building up inside of her. She was trembling, both pulling him in and pushing him out at the same time. "Let it go." He dragged his tongue down, joining his fingers. He licked at the juices spilling out of her, fingering her even faster. Her moans were loud while she tugged at his long locks, pulling enough to nearly rip some strands off.

Then he sensed it. Her body stilled for a second, her toes curled and she became undone around him. There was a breathless moan uttered, one that sounded like his name, and he  _tasted_  her. She filled his mouth with a sweet nectar and he happily drank. Seconds ticked away before her legs gave out, falling onto the bed. Her breaths were loud, harsh, as she could not find a normal rhythm. Every speck of her skin was covered in a layer of skin while her head was buzzing. Her body kept on throbbing, the sensitive nub between her legs  _intensely_  sensitive. She whimpered when his fingers slid out of her, her body missing the foreign touch.

He kissed his way to her neck; first her stomach, then between her breasts. "Thanks for  _dessert_ ," he replied, his lips still sticky with her juices.

Kouga put his lips to hers, allowing her to taste herself. It was a quick kiss, just enough to leave the taste behind.

He winked at her and before she could take her next breath, he was gone.

Kagome stretched her arms out, her legs still shaking.  _What the fuck was that_? She could feel the stickiness between her inner thighs, the craving growing in the pit of her stomach.

She was fucked, so fucked.

-R-


	9. Chapter 9

 

"Inuyasha?"

She saw him raise his head, his amber eyes looking into hers before panic settled on. "W-what are you doing here?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "It's the campus… I go here?" What was wrong with him? She knew she wasn't his favourite person but he almost looked disgusted by her presence.

Inuyasha and her used to have a long standing friendship. They hung out every day, they did everything together. It was only natural that over time, she developed feelings for him. Because of her shy nature, she had tried different ways of showing her interest, but none of them had caught his attention. She knew that Inuyasha could come across as brash, or rude, but it wasn't his fault. His mother died when he was very young, and his older brother held nothing but disdain for him. He was used to being on his own. It took Kagome a long time to even befriend him. Eventually, they graduated from high school and Kagome decided she was tired of waiting around. She confessed; but he turned her down. Quite  _rudely_. But at least it was direct. The fact that he did not want to be with her did hurt but - she wanted to remain friends. He was her best friend. Unfortunately, he did not have the same opinion.

Ever since that day, he was distant. No more late hang outs, no more outings, or late night conversations. It was all gone. She had to chase him down to get a minute of his time. She tried to confront him about it a couple of times but he always dismissed her. She wasn't crazy; she knew something had changed. Fine, he didn't want to date her but did he really have to cut her out of his life like this?

"Keh. Coulda fooled me."

He barely saw her around campus anymore. Sure, he knew she attended her classes, but she no longer studied at the library, she didn't have lunch at the cafeteria and she didn't lounge in the little park nearby. Anytime he looked for her, she was nowhere to be found.

"What does that mean?" Since when did he care what she did? It didn't seem to make it to his priority list.

"Nothing."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Fine, don't tell me." This was their first conversation in months and she didn't feel like fighting. To top it all off, she didn't have the energy and honestly the fact that he hadn't run off was a victory. She hadn't been able to sleep well the past couple of days and only one person was to blame; Kouga. She had called him once, but he hadn't picked up. Honestly, she was almost glad. What was she supposed to tell him? The memories of what he  _did_  to her was enough to bring heat to her cheeks.

Inuyasha's nose twitched. "What's going on with you?"  _Shame_?

"N-nothing," she said, glancing away from him.  _Gah_ , now was not the time to be thinking about was she surrounded by  _freaking_  canines? Their stupid noses… "Do- do you have time for a coffee? We could hang out," she proposed.

"I'm busy."

"Sitting here by yourself?"

"I gotta study."

"Since when do you study?"

" _I said I'm busy_ , are you deaf?" he snapped. He turned around, ready to walk away from her when she put her hand on his arm, stopping him. He could have pulled away, but he didn't. Instead he closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"Inuyasha… why are you avoiding me?" her voice was breaking as she spoke the words softly.

"Keh. Can't take a hint?" His chest felt heavy, like something was stabbing him in the heart. Why was she asking him? Why hadn't she let it go yet? "I want you to leave me alone. It's pretty simple." He had been rude, he had avoided her and yet she kept not getting the hint.

He couldn't look her in the eyes. He refused. He yanked his arm free, letting her fall into the emptiness, and he walked away. She brought a hand to her chest, watching him leave. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes. Sango hadn't been completely wrong; feelings were crap. Feelings ruined things, and they clearly didn't work out for her. She had confessed and for what? To lose her best friend? She wished she had never said anything. Her shoulders slumped down before she resigned herself; even if she went after him, he would push her away again. She didn't know why she kept on trying. She watched him vanish, his silver hair disappearing into the crowd.

One day she would figure out why he hated her.

-R-

"Stupid asshole."

And  _bam_.

"I mean, who does he think he is."

_Bullseye_.

"He thinks he can just do whatever he wants?"

_Again_.

"I swear, the next time I see him…"

Before Kagome could fire another arrow, she felt a pressure on her bow, forcing her to lower it. She blinked, raising her gaze to meet Miroku's eyes.

"I have no doubt Lady Kagome that you could make the same shot for a fourth time, but I must say, I do fear for my life."

"What?" She looked at the target, noticing that she had fired each arrow into the middle, each subsequent arrow ripping in half the precious one. "Hey! I've never done so many good shots before."

"Indeed. What brought forth this change?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Although a name was never mentioned, he didn't need one to guess her newfound rage had something to do with Kouga. Anything that seemed to  _spark_  her powers were related to him. She didn't even know how much. Kouga had shared with him the small healing that had happened. He had been the one to confirm to the leader that holy powers could negate the effects of the miasma, and it was most likely that Kagome had spared him weeks of pain. Miroku's powers had never been able to accomplish that, but he wasn't surprised that someone like Kagome could pull it off. The origins of her powers were far holier than his. That tidbit had interested Kouga a great deal.

"Nothing, I've just been practicing," she hurried to answer, pink dusting across her cheeks.

"I see."

"Yep." She lifted her bow again now that Miroku had removed his hand from it.

"So it has nothing to do with a certain wolf?"

_Snap_.

Her arrow fell downward into the ground while Kagome's fingers released it. "W-what?"

"I said -"

"I heard what you said," she mumbled, cutting him off. "It has nothing to do with Kouga."

"Oh good. Because I wouldn't want his presence to distract you."

"His what?"

"Behind you," he said with a smile.

Kagome turned around only to see Kouga standing nearby, a smirk on his face. "Talking about me?"

"No one has time to waste," she pointed out as she bent over to pick up her arrow.

It was too late. She could already feel her heartbeat picking up, her blood rushing to her face as she could vividly remember the last time they were together. This was not the kind of flashback she wanted to have while  _Miroku_  was around. She didn't need to give him more reasons to be a pervert.

"I thought you'd be happier to see me," he said as he headed in her direction. "Considering how pleased I left you the last time we were together."

She wanted to argue that he was wrong, that she hadn't been  _pleased_  but it would be a weak argument, even she knew that. He had seen the effect he had on her body and she had been nothing more than putty in his hands. Which she resented. He had taken her by surprise, using her grogginess to lead her down a path she wouldn't have otherwise taken. If - if he hadn't used the element of surprise, she would have resisted.

"So I eat you out once, and you have nothing else to say?"

" _Aah_ ," came Miroku's voice as he nodded. "That explains the surge in power," he added as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Orgasms really work for you Lady Kagome."

Yep. That was exactly what she had been trying to avoid. But of course Kouga showing up ruined that for her. And  _fuck_. She couldn't even look him in the eyes. Kagome could feel him hovering, approaching her, but she couldn't face him. How could she after what happened? And she didn't really want to see his smug expression. He was probably proud of himself for winning over her that night. And he was probably more than happy to see she was embarrassed about the whole ordeal. How was it her fault he was unfazed by all this? He did  _that_ , and now he was showing up here like everything was fine. Then again, it was probably a better attitude than Inuyasha had displayed with her this morning…

"It's not gonna happen again," she said, her eyes staring at his lips. That was as high as she could get without glancing at the ground.

He chuckled. "You say that…" He took a step forward, approaching his body to hers. Her stance stiffened, and he watched as she struggled with her desire to create distance between them. She didn't want to appear weak. He smirked. "Yet, I can't recall  _any_  moment… at all," he trailed off, lowering his face to her level. "When you tried to  _zap_  me away… I only remember you begging me to…"

_Zap_.

The wave of power that rolled off of her was enough to send Kouga flying into a nearby tree, his back smacking into it as he humphed on impact. Unfortunately, her lack of control mixed with the high display of power caused another victim; Miroku. Since he was not a youkai, the impacts on him were not as  _sizzling_ , but it was enough to send him tumbling backwards, his head smacking against the hard ground. Once the rush left her body, but the heat from her shame remained, she noticed Miroku still on the floor, and her eyes widened in panic.

"Miroku!" She ran in his direction, ignoring Kouga, and dropped to her knees by his side. "Are you okay?"

He propped himself on his elbows, stretching his neck to the left then to the right. "We might need Kouga to assist more of our meetings. He seems to be the key element to your powers Lady Kagome." If he thought she had been worked up while shooting arrows, he had seen nothing yet. One thing was clear; there was a lot of hidden powers inside her.

"I'm sorry - I didn't mean to get you too," she said, glossing over his comment about having Kouga around more often. She could do without that.

"Does that mean you want me around more, Higurashi?"

"I don't think so," she replied with narrowed eyes.

"I'm okay with nightly visits."

"You know what Miroku? I think I've trained enough for today."

"I think we've done great progress," he replied with a grin. These two were dancing around each other like idiots, and it made for an enjoyable display of flirting.

"Let me know when you have time again," she said, making sure to avoid all type of eye contact with Kouga.

"Will do, Lady Kagome."

"That's perfect. My driver left. I'll drive back with you and Shippo," Kouga pitched in.

"I don't think so. I can walk home." She couldn't. She simply refused to think what would happen if she shared a small space with him.

He didn't dignify her with a response; instead he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her from the ground before dropping her across his shoulder. She started fighting him immediately, but he could barely feel her kicks and punches. "It'll be easier if you don't fight. What kind of alpha would I be if I let ya walk?"

"Kouga put me down."

"Nope."

Miroku tuned off their words as he watched them walk away, amused. Had Kouga called himself her alpha? He didn't remember her being part of the pack. Interesting. It was obvious that Kouga had no idea how wrapped up he was getting into the little priestess.

Fascinating.

-R-

" _Kouga_ …"

Her chest was heaving as she stared ahead, her fingers gripping at his wrists. Her cheeks burned with her shame; how could he do this with someone  _right_  there? Kouga followed her line of sight and smirked when he noticed her staring at the driver.

" _Hey_ , Shippo," he began, his fingers continuing their strokes despite her futile efforts to hold them back. "You don't mind if I finger her while you're driving right?"

There was a pause, a moment. "No, sir."

"See Higurashi? He doesn't mind."

"That- that doesn't-"

He tangled his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent. Her juices were dripping from his fingers to his palm as he added a third finger. "Gonna tell me you don't want it again?" He exhaled loudly, his breath tickling at her skin. "Be a good girl."

She held back a groan at being  _stretched_. Even if she  _wanted_  to zap him, she didn't think she could. Her head was swimming in new sensations, her body drumming, feelings heightening every time he touched her. It felt  _good_. Somewhere in the back of her head, she could hear Sango's voice telling her to enjoy this. She probably could enjoy it if it weren't  _him_. It was a game to him. He wanted to  _have_  her and then move on. She didn't want him to get what he wanted - even if it meant losing out on this.

"Y-you're cheating."

His tongue darted out, lapping at her neck. "It's not my fault your body knows what you need." This was torture for him as well; his erection was growing, putting pressure downwards. He had been teased when he tasted her and this was not helping relieve the need. He just wanted to fuck her even more.

"It-s…" She didn't even know how to argue it. She felt his thumb on her sensitive nub, gently circling it, and she almost buckled in his hold.

He nibbled at her earlobe, tugging at it. "Tell me, how easy would it be for me right now to just…" He slowed down his fingers, the motions almost coming to a halt. Already, he felt her hips buckling to compensate the loss of sensation. "Take my fingers out," he said, leaving nothing but the tips of his digits inside. "And replace them with my cock?" Her juices were dripping into his palm as he let himself taste the flesh of her neck. He had to stiffen a groan at his own proposition; he wanted to lay her across the floor of the limo and fuck her senseless. He wanted her to know  _no one_  else could come close to provide the same thing for her. He wanted her sprawled beneath him, begging to be fucked harder, screaming his name until she lost her voice.

He wanted her to know no one else would pleasure her.

Especially not some idiot.

"Or maybe it's not mine you want?" he asked, breaking the silence. "Who's cock do you want in your wet cunt? His?"

His? Who was  _he_? "W-what?"

He chuckled in her ear. "You seemed upset when your little boyfriend didn't wanna give ya the time of day."

Her boyfriend? She meant to ask but found herself voiceless as he pumped his fingers in and out of her faster. "H-ga…"

"Silver hair, dog ears…"

Inuyasha? Kagome shook her head. "Not- not my boyfriend."

She had called him a few times, but; he had wanted to do their next conversation in person. He wanted to smell her scent when she'd see him for the first time after what he had done to her. He had a bit of free time in the morning and he used it to drop by her school. That was when he saw her with that  _mutt_. Even he had smelled her sadness and disappointment from far away. The boy had pushed her away, rejected her, but she kept on insisting. She stayed. She had obviously enjoyed their little nighttime activity, but he had to keep on chasing her to get his little prize. That mutt gave her nothing, and she hung around. What was the problem? He would not show her why she shouldn't waste her time on pathetic men like him. She needed someone like him, someone who could satisfy her unlike those fools.

He would show her what she had been missing on. He would make her forget about  _them_.

"Are you sure?" he asked his nose tangling in her hair. "He seems like the kind of pathetic fool that wouldn't satisfy you. Isn't that your type?"

Anger seeped through his youki, suffocating her, surrounding her. Why was he mad? He didn't have any reason to be upset. He was toying with her, using her to satisfy his sadistic pleasures, to get off. Why did it matter to him if she talked to someone else? If she was someone else's? He had no boundaries, no shame. Also, was he spying on her? "Maybe." She was playing with fire, taunting him further. He didn't get to win again. He kept bringing her down to her knees, and she wanted to do the same thing. Ever since that night, he had the upper hand, and she wanted to shift the monopole of the power.  _She_  should be the one torturing him.

His fangs grazed her shoulder while he chuckled. " _Maybe_?" He used his grip on her waist to flip her on her back, laying her across the leather seat. He put a kiss on the column of her throat as he repositioned his fingers inside of her. "Would he do this to you?" he asked, making his way downwards. A kiss on her collarbone, then on the top of her breast. Just enough to steal her breath. "Would he savour you until you screamed his name until your leg went numb?"

No he wouldn't. Because he didn't even want to look at her.

"Tell me princess," he spoke against the fabric of her shirt. He nipped at her nipple through the shirt, through the bra. "Would he make you feel as wet as I do?"

The pressure was building back up in the pit of her stomach; it wasn't fair. She had never felt  _this_  before. No matter what she did to herself, or how someone else touched her, it was never like this. Her skin was fire, her lungs ached and her skin was begging for his touch. She couldn't refuse him; she couldn't push him off. He was making a fool out of her and she was letting him. That  _passion_ , that need; it was like a drug cursing through her veins. His fingers curled inside of her and her back arched in response. Her eyes were closed, feeling him more than she was seeing him. His words were a faraway echo in her head and she knew she had to regain control of herself.

"But… I guess you're not into that," he finally answered himself, his fingers slipping out of her.

He had gotten her near completion, but he had stopped before she got her reward. Frustration rose in her chest as she heard him move away from her. He was actually stopping. Her eyes snapped open as she watched him lick his fingers cleaned, comfortably sitting on the other end of the backseat. He was done. He was - _jealous? No._  He just didn't want anyone to have fun before he did. He didn't care enough to be actually jealous. This was about control and nothing else. He wanted to show he had power over her. Unfortunately for him, she could easily see that this also affected him; the bulge in his pants was hard to hide. She ignored the quiver in her legs and sat up. She kept her eyes on him, hoping it would distract him long enough for her to find the guts to put her plan in motion. She put her hand on his inner thigh, fingers threatening to smother over his erection.

Kouga quirked an eyebrow, his gaze moving to watch her motions.  _Uh_.

"You're always cheating," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. She leaned forward while her bottom lip quivered; goddamn it. "It's not fair. You're not being fair." On the seat? The car was moving a lot… on the ground? On her knees?

"I think I've been more than fair," he said, his voice raspy. His cock was throbbing, and he swallowed hard as he watched her slowly drop from the seat to the ground.

It was payback. It was a payback for him using her, for making her weak. This was a dead end; this was nothing. It was a game and now she was playing the game. At least, she couldn't get her feelings hurt, right? This was safer. She couldn't mask the shaking of her fingers as she reached out for his belt; Damn it, how did he always act so confident, so sure of himself when he did this? She unbuckled it and then dragged his zipper down. She lifted her gaze to stare at him, noticing his narrowed eyes. He understood what she needed and never broke the eye contact as he pulled down on his pants, allowing them to puddle at his ankles.

Now or never.

Oh god. Was she really doing this? She was giving him exactly what he wanted wasn't she? But she was trying to play his game, she was trying to be the one in charge. Although, his predatory look in his eyes did not make her feel like she was in charge. It made her feel like the prey.  _Come on Kagome_ , she could hear Sango saying. What was the harm? He had done a lot worse to her. Her body remained on fire from the frustration caused by his teasing, the wetness coating her underwear.  _He did need to be left hanging_. She could return the favour, the rage. She gulped before reaching into his black boxer, her fingers wrapping themselves around an impressive width. She used her grip to free him from his constraint, his cock springing to life.  _Oh_. It had felt big, and it hadn't been a trick. She kept her gaze on his erection while she slowly began stroking him with her hand.

He hissed, leaning back into his seat. He wanted to tangle his fingers in her hair, pop his cock in between those pretty lips and watch it disappear in her mouth. He wanted to tilt her head back,  _forcing_  her to look at him while she sucked him off. The sight of her on her knees, nestled between his legs - it was enough to make him want to cum. Did he want to watch her swallow, or did he want to dirty up that sweet face? He opted to dig his fingers into the sweet, trying to let her choose the rhythm, the pace. He could guide her, push her, but he wanted to see how far she'd go on her own.

Kagome could tell his body had stiffened but, it wasn't enough. She also knew she couldn't keep going like this; dry on dry wasn't going to achieve the goal she sought. Her bottom lip trembled as she considered her next course of action. Was she going to go this far?  _She had already gotten down on her knees_. She couldn't back away now without winning a little sense of victory… She inhaled deeply, foolishly attempting to give herself some courage, as she felt her hands get sweaty; now or never. She made sure to avoid all eye contact as she dipped her face forward, taking in the head of his cock in her mouth, keeping her hand wrapped at the base of it.

He hissed as he felt the warmth and moistness of her mouth which forced him to lean backwards into the seat. Kagome stretched her mouth open more, pushing more of him into her mouth, until she felt her gagging reflex kick in. Since he was too large for her to fit entirely in her mouth, she began moving her hand up and down to compensate for the rest. Slowly, she pulled her head back and forth, sliding him in and out of her mouth. After a few strokes, she felt his fingers in her hair, pulling at it, forcing her head up. Their eyes met and though she was desperate to look away, shame burning at her cheeks, his hold on her forced her to maintain eye contact. His eyes were dark, demanding, as he watched her swallow his cock and it almost felt like he was holding his breath. She felt the jerking movements of his hips, daring to push himself further into her mouth and faster. When it would hit the back of her throat, she'd hold back a gag.

He twitched in her mouth, and the overloading of sensations was enough for him to loosen his grip. She took advantage of his momentary weakness to lean forward once more. She used her free hand to hold on to his leg, and the new position allowed her to slip him in and out of her mouth faster. His breaths were louder as she took most of him into her mouth, saliva sliding down the side of his cock. After a few strokes, she nearly popped all of him out of her mouth, but kept the head. Gently, she sucked at it, her tongue wrapping around it, lapping at it.

" _Fuck_."

Kouga pulled at her hair again, desperate to have her look at him as she pleasured him. She was not the most experienced, he could easily tell, but there was something about her working to please  _him_  that was making his cock twitch with need. He held her head in place, preventing her from moving backwards, and he pushed more of himself into her mouth. He slowly inched his cock in, feeling her gag against him, but she never tried to break free from his hold. He groaned. His fingers trembled, the feelings overwhelming his control, and Kagome dipped her head forward even more. She closed her eyes tightly, fighting against her instinct to pull away; if he wanted to play that game, so could she. Her tongue swirled around the base and she felt his fingers grip at her scalp. She pushed and pushed forward until;

"FUCK _."_

Panic shone in her eyes as she realized it was too late for her to decide; spit or swallow. The semen hit her in the back of the throat, a cough bubbling within her, and she was forced to pull away. Most of it landed in her mouth, forcing her to swallow, but as his cock popped out, it left a trail behind on her nose and dripping from her chin. She brought a hand to her mouth, coughing as the rest slid down her throat. Spitting would have been more pleasant, there was no doubt about it.

Before she could look up again, she found herself sprawled on the floor, his large body covering hers. His cock was still free, the tip sticky, as it pressed against her inner thigh; it was  _warm_. His lips were on her neck, his breathing harsh and loud as he tried to control himself. "I should fuck you right now," he whispered. "I should pull those panties aside and fill you with my cock."

Her heart thundered in her chest at his words. "K-kouga, I-"

This was backfiring. Big time.

He chuckled. "So scared for such a brave girl," he taunted. "Don't worry, princess, I'm not gonna fuck you here. I'm gonna wait for you," he said, tasting the skin of her neck with his tongue. "I'm gonna wait for you to come to me, to beg me for it."

"I-I'm not gonna do that," she replied, hitched breath as his touch sent goosebumps across her skin.

" _You will_ ," he added, his tone commanding. "You'll give yourself to me, and then -  _I'll fuck you._  I'll ruin you for any other man who wants to put his hands on you."

Damn it. She wanted to tell him it would never happen, that she would never  _beg_  him for anything, but she could feel the wetness spreading between her legs, the pulsing of his cock on her inner tight and she was using all of her self control to not  _moan_. Why? Why couldn't she fight him more? Why did he set her body on fire and render her hopeless? She wouldn't - she couldn't ever  _beg_  him. He might make her weak, but he wouldn't win.

"Better make yourself presentable again, Higurashi. Or your mother is gonna wonder what you do outside of school."

She arched an eyebrow, confusion dancing in her eyes. Her mother? He looked up at the window, forcing her to arch her back to the same; they were at the shrine. When had the car stopped? Oh god, had they been parked in front of her house this whole time? What if someone had seen them? A blush crept across her cheeks and she turned away from him… leaving her to stare at the back of Shippo's head.  _Oh, no_. That wasn't any better. Damn it. She closed her eyes, hoping the floor would swallow her whole so she would never have to face anyone. Her chest caved in from her exhale and she could feel the tip of ears turning red.

Her closed eyes preventing her from seeing Kouga coming from her mouth, and by the time his lips were on hers, it was too late. Fangs poked at the membrane, a hint of blood rising to the surface. He lapped at her top lip before pulling away. "Thanks for the preview, Higurashi," he said as he pulled himself away from her. He didn't even know how he was letting her go. He wanted to fill her cunt with his cock and watch her beg him and moan his name until she surrendered… but he knew his victory would be sweeter when she came to him. He could restrain himself a little longer. He could see her slowly slipping, slowly giving into him.

Soon enough.

"I'll see you soon Higurashi."

She managed to sit up, her eyes darting around the car. She had to get out, get far away from him. She grabbed her bag, nearly stumbling as she tried to sit up in the stopped car. She said nothing as she pushed the door open, stepping out of the confined space.

Kouga and small spaces?

Never again.

-R-

' _I think something is wrong.'_

Kagome arched an eyebrow as she read over the text. ' _What do you mean_?'

The response came almost immediately. ' _My dad. My brother. They shoulda been back by now…_ '

Sango was not one to worry over nothing; If she was concerned it was because she knew more details than she was letting on. Kagome felt helpless; there was nothing she could say or do to make her friend feel better. ' _Do you want me to come over?'_

This time, she didn't answer right away and Kagome stared at her screen, jitters of nervousness spamming through her legs. Maybe she could at least distract her a little. It wasn't much but…

' _Yeah_.'

' _On my way.'_

Kagome hopped off her bed, ready to get dress, when she found herself staring at her  _second_  phone. He said that people hired them for jobs, right? No, it was crazy. She couldn't do that. He was tangled up in her life enough and she didn't need to further their relationship. Plus, could she really write to him as if nothing had happened the other day? He had basically said he was waiting for her to cave in… he might see this as her accepting what he had said…  _But it was for Sango_. He probably had access to a lot of resources… Ugh. She resigned herself and picked up the phone from her bed. ' _Any experience with missing people?'_

She put the phone down before grabbing her black sweater from the ground, slipping it on. By the time she picked the phone back up, he had replied. ' _Why? What's going on?'_ Nothing about what happened - no sly comment. That was weird.

_'My friend thinks her father and her brother are missing. Is that something you could help with?'_ This really made it sound like she would owe him a favour - something she really didn't want but… for Sango, it was worth it.

' _Names?'_

_'Shako and Kohaku Taijiya.'_

Nothing.

She waited for a reply to pop on her screen, but there was nothing. That was odd. She grabbed her purse from her desk chair, swinging it over her shoulder. Maybe he was busy. She shoved both cellphones inside of her purse before heading downstairs with quick steps.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, mom, I'm heading to Sango's house. We hm, have to study."

"Do you want breakfast before you go?"

"No, I'm good. I'll be back before dinner."

"Alright, have fun."

Kagome was about to step out the door when she felt her cellphone vibrate. She fished for it, pulling out the one  _he_  had given her.  _'I'll check it out.'_

_'Thank you_.'

She put the phone back in her purse, her chest feeling lighter. Hopefully, he could come up with something. Obviously, it might be difficult to explain any information she got to Sango, but she would manage it. As long as she could make sure that her friend's family was safe. She dashed down the stairs of the shrine, tumbling down onto the sidewalk. It was a short enough distance that she could walk it. As she abruptly turned around, she found herself head first in someone's chest. "Sorry," she immediately said, offering a slight bow in apology.

"I'm the one who wasn't looking," replied the man, a smile stretched across his face. His long wave black hair covered most of his features, except for glowing red eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said again, a strange wave rolling off her skin. His red eyes clearly showed that he was not human. She was probably reacting to his youki. She shook her head softly, offering the stranger a smile before resuming her direction.

He stopped, watching her walk away.

_So this was her._

-R-


	10. Chapter 10

 

"You called me, boss?"

Kouga gestured for Ginta to come in, and he obeyed. He closed the door behind him as he walked further into his office. "What's up?"

"Kohaku - that rings a bell?"

"Isn't he the slayer's boy?"

"Fuck."

"What's up?"

"It's that fucking kid."

"What kid?"

"The one I was trying to help when that fucking spider got me."

He had been familiar with his face, but he had never known his name - until she had mentioned that last name. He hadn't been able to let it go.

"What happened to him?"

"I'm not sure. I was pretty bad off and Kagome got me remember?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "And now she asked me about him."

"She knows him?"

"Apparently. I don't know how, but I don't like this."

Ginta sat in the chair across from the desk. "You think the spider has something to do with this?"

"I don't know…"

"You think he knows about her?"

"Wouldn't put it past him. I'm sure he has me followed from time to time." He probably saw them on campus or another location. That and Kagome was getting stronger; her powers were probably making her a lot easier to locate, especially for someone like him. "We're gonna have to keep an eye on her."

"You think he's gonna try something?"

"He almost killed me. What do ya think?"

"I'll get a team together."

"Found any more strays?"

"Not yet."

"Then why the fuck are you still sitting here?"

"On it boss."

Ginta hopped off the chair and hurried to leave Kouga's office. The boss was not in a good mood and he would not risk pissing him off anymore than he already was.

Kouga leaned into his chair, creases forming on his forehead. What the fuck was the spider up to and what did he want with Kagome? She would be no use to him, especially considering the nature of her powers; he wouldn't be able to turn her. Did he know what she could do with his miasma? If so, she was in trouble. Naraku wouldn't let someone negate his more powerful weapon. He would take her out instead.

He would have to keep a closer eye on her.

-R-

She tapped her plastic cup against the wooden table, her foot drumming against the ceramic of the floor. Her cellphone was on the table, staring at her, taunting her. She would not call him. It was silly. It was all in her head. Hanging out with Kouga and working on her powers had turned her into a paranoiac person. It was the only logical explanation. Plus, it wasn't like she had seen anything - or heard anyone. It was that strange feeling - one she couldn't shake off. She had felt it when she had come back from Sango's, she had felt it on her way to school, her way home… But it had always felt distant… until this evening. She had been grabbing some pens for school when she had felt  _it_. It was like someone had been hovering right behind her. She had hurried her steps, constantly looking over her shoulder but seeing nothing.

Then, it had felt like a hand on her shoulder. Panicked, she had turned into the first door, and ended up at Wacdonald's. She thanked God that it was filled with people, the presence disappearing rapidly. And yet, she felt like it was waiting for her just on the other side of that wall. She had ordered a drink to justify her presence, and she had sat down. Three hours had gone by and she hadn't found the courage to leave. The thought of sensing that presence again made her tremble in fear.  _All in your head. All in your head_. But then why did it feel so  _real_? She had opened and closed her cellphone more than once, almost calling him but always changing her mind.

He would dismiss it.

He would make a joke about how she was trying to get his attention.

And that was good, because it would mind she was acting crazy…

The sound of the door ringing pulled her out of her thoughts and she noticed that more and more people were leaving. She glanced at the phone: 8:09pm. Soon enough, she would be almost all alone here and it would make it no safer than out there. She had to go - head home. But what if there was something… and it caught her or worse… what if followed her home? She swallowed hard as she rubbed the back of her neck.

_Fuck it_. She caved.

The tremble in her hand made it almost impossible to pick up the phone but she succeeded. She called her only contact and put the phone to her ear, waiting for him to pick up.

And he did after a few rings.

" _Miss me already Higurashi?_ " came his cocky voice.

But she could not find her words; her heart was drumming in her chest.

" _Higurashi?_ "

She swallowed hard.

" _Kagome, what's wrong?_ "

"I-" she licked her lips. "Can- can you come get me?"

He paused. " _Where are you?"_

"The Wacdonald's downtown."

" _I'm on my way. Wait inside._ "

She nodded even though she couldn't see her. She heard him hang up before she could speak another word, so she put the phone back down. She shifted her gaze to stare at the door and she waited, watching it for his arrival. Every time it opened, her heart skipped a beat a little but so far, it wasn't him. It took another 15 minutes before she saw his familiar face poking through the door. Almost immediately, his eyes were on her and he dashed in her direction.

"You alright?"

Kagome nodded.

"The boys are waiting outside. Let's go." He offered her his hand, and she took it.

He didn't ask her why she called him, he didn't ask what she was afraid of - he was just  _here_. She was grateful for the warmth of his hand as he guided her outside, paranoia obvious in her glance as she inspected every inch of the Wacdonald's. She held her breath for a second as they walked out, but never felt the  _presence_ , even when he guided her to the car, opening the door for her. He used his body to shield hers as she hopped in, his eyes scanning the area while Ginta and Hakkaku stayed behind to ensure  _his_  safety. Once she was safely tucked into the car, he joined her and closed the door. She expected them to join in as well, but was surprised when the car started moving.

"What about Ginta and Hakkaku?"

"Different car," he said as he peeked through the window. "Doesn't make sense to have everyone in the same car. This is safer." That way the boys could spot any  _strange_  behaviour and if someone tried any funny business, they would have two targets to take down.

"Oh." This was not new for him. She cleared her throat. "Sorry - I - I didn't know who else to call."

He waved her off. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she said a little defeated. "I - it's stupid."

He scooted over, closing the distance between their bodies. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him as he tilted her head. "You didn't call over nothing." He had never heard fear like that in her voice; it had shaken him to his core.

"I-" She blushed, the memory of their last time in a car together faintly in the back of her mind. "I felt  _something_  or someone. I don't know. I felt them a lot lately but this time - Kouga  _I swear_  they were right there. I panicked - I ran into the Wacdonald's - and then a few hours later I called you."

"A  _few_  hours? Why didn't you call me right away?"

"I - I thought I was crazy… aren't I?"

"We didn't see anything - but you're different."

"What do you mean?"

"You have holy powers, you pick up shit we don't. If you say there was something, then there was. Always trust your instincts."

"So what am I supposed to do? I mean - I can't go home, I can't bring that back to my family." If anything happened to her mother or her brother because of her, she wouldn't forgive herself. She was the one who got tangled up in this mess and it wasn't their fault.

"You ain't. You're coming back with us."

"What if it goes after them?"

"I already sent some guys. They're gonna stay on standby. If anyone shows up, I'll know."

"But what if someone follows us?"

He chuckled. "They'd be pretty stupid to attack us on home ground, but if that's what they want, let 'em come."

"Kouga I don't wanna -"

"It's fine Higurashi."

"But-"

He snaked an arm around her shoulder, using his newfound grip to bring her closer. "Higurashi, this is the last warning. Or I'll find a very pleasant way to  _shut you up_."

_As if she had forgotten what happened the last time they were in a car together_. "Fine," she settled on answering as she relaxed in her seat. It was the first time since her little outing that she could let her guard down. Despite everything, she knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her, or else he wouldn't have come to her rescue as fast as he had. As she leaned her head backwards, she felt the arm he still had wrapped around her with his hand on her shoulder.  _He wasn't letting go_. Normally, she would say he was fondling her, but in this case - she wasn't so sure. Instead of focusing his attention on her, he was alert, and staring at everything, taking every sight and sound in.

"Is - could it be that spider? The one that hurt you?" It was the only time she had ever since him… weak?

"I don't think so. Maybe."

He was sure it was that fucking spider, but he didn't want to tell her. She had seen him be weak because of him and he didn't want her to think he couldn't take care of this. She called him and he could sure as fuck take care of this. The spider had always pushed the limit but now he was stepping into his territory and he had to be put in his place. He didn't care what he had to do to find him; he would kill him himself.

"My mother and brother will be safe?"

"Yes."

"Sorry - I - I don't want them to get hurt because of me."

"They won't. I ain't about to let someone under my protection get hurt."

He could deal with the fact that  _he_  had gotten hurt before. It hurt his pride, but he rather himself than someone from his pack. He would not let anything happen to Kagome or her family. Plus, if the spider got his hand on Kagome, who knew what he might try to do. This was why the pack used to have a lot more holy powers but - things didn't work the way they used to anymore. It was better, safer. Now there were too many restrictions and rules. Someone like the spider didn't respect them and it allowed him to gain the upper hand in the fight. Kouga needed to find a way to turn the tables on that fucking bastard.

She trusted him. She knew that a lot of details were unknown to her, but - she had seen enough to know they could take drastic actions. She also knew the kind of shit that could go down, especially since Miroku shared his story with her. Miroku had been a stranger, but Kouga had given him a chance. There was more to him than she could see.

"Thank you."

The rest of the ride was silent, his arm still wrapped around her, but he did nothing more. She expected him to hit on her, to make a sly comment, but it was pure silence. This was not about her; this was about business. Despite his words, she couldn't shake off the fact that the  _spider_  had something to do with this. It wasn't like she ever met him or anything but - it was a feeling in her gut. She chose to keep quiet about it and closed her eyes, waiting for them to reach their destination. Which they eventually did. When she felt the car come to stop, she opened her eyes again. Kouga finally retracted his arm before exiting the car first. He kept the door closed, preventing her from doing the same. She heard him talk - she assumed to Ginta and Hakkaku - and it wasn't until they were done that he opened the door.

"Go inside. You can use my shower, borrow some of my clothes."

She frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna check out the area."

"Kouga…" Last time he had a job, that she knew of, he almost died. He called her on the brink of death, and she had to carry him back. She didn't feel like repeating the experience… It wasn't like she thought he was weak, but she had learned that night that there were monsters in the night, and even someone like him could get injured.

"I ain't gonna get hurt," he spat out, trying to mask his hurt pride. He was hurt  _once_. He was caught off guard  _once_. He would never make that fucking mistake again. He would never let that asshole get him again - but he also refused to stand by and do nothing while his territory and his people were being harmed. Enough.

"Be careful please."

"Don't get sappy Higurashi. I might start thinking you give a shit."

"You're right. Go be a reckless idiot and go die."

He chuckled. "There ya go, that's better. I thought you were going soft on me." He might be able to make her legs turn into wobbly spaghettis, but it didn't mean he didn't enjoy her snark. Plus, he disliked pity or having her think he wasn't strong enough to do this.

"Don't count on it," she said, hiding her concerns. She forgot who she was talking to; he was too stubborn for his own good. Clearly, she should have learned by now that no one could stop him. If he wanted something… he went straight for it.

"If you're hungry, ask Yuki, she'll make ya some food."

"I'm good."

"Don't forget to warm up my bed for me," he said with a wink. He planted a quick peck on her lips and just like that  _he was gone_.

Kagome shook her head softly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

He would never change.

-R-

"It's me."

At the sound of his voice, her body relaxed, and she released her grip on the blanket. Even though his youki had not appear threatening, her body was on high alert. Now that the sense of danger had washed off, the grogginess of being woken up in a middle of a cycle hit her. She rubbed her eyes, trying to make out his shape in the darkness. He was somewhere by the door, but she couldn't see his face. "Everything okay?" What time was it?

"Yeah, it's fine." He had combed through everything, trying to find anything that might help him narrow the spider's lair but he couldn't find it. He knew the spider coming after Kagome was a personal attack - a second one, and he would not let it slide. However, he was a disadvantage.

"Thank you - again. For this, for watching over my family."

"It's part of the package."

"I thought - I wasn't  _you_   _know_ , in enough yet."

"Can't let you in on all the secrets, but I'm not gonna let someone attack you."

It was a nice  _change_  dare she say? It felt he was getting a kick out of chasing her, embarrassing her, but it was difficult for her to get a grasp on who he was, what he really wanted. Or how he considered her. But he had no problem deploying man power to protect her and her family and he came running when she called. She almost didn't expect him to do any of it - but at the same… didn't she? Wasn't that why she called? Because she knew he would help? It was  _confusing_  to say the least. He enraged her - but she kept coming back. What was it that held her interest, that made her put herself in that situation over and over again?

"You alright?"

She sighed. "Little… on edge." Her sleep had been nothing but peaceful.

"I can make you feel better," he spoke, his blue eyes shining in the darkness.

He took another step towards the bed, his fingers reaching for his collar. He pulled at the back of his shirt, sliding off from the top of his head, revealing his muscular back before the fabric unshielded his abs and chest. He discarded it on the ground, moving forward, his knees hitting the edge of the bed. He climbed on it while she watched, protected by the flimsy blanket that covered her body. The muscles of his arms bulged as he closed the distant, leaving her feeling like a trapped prey. He never took his eyes off of her as he crawled on top of her, her legs trapped between his. His arms were on each side of her as he leaned forward, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Do you want me to make you feel better?"

She found herself leaning against him, her body tempted by the unspoken promises he could deliver. She came here for comfort, for protection. She hadn't - this hadn't been - and yet her body grew warm underneath his, weakening her will to fight.

He nipped at her earlobe. "I can help you relax."

He could - she knew he could.

One of his hands moved to her hip, squeezing it, holding her in place. His fingers snuck in underneath  _his_  shirt, fingertips tickling at the smooth skin of her stomach. She inhaled sharply, and he breathed in her sweet scent. When she made no sound, or no attempt to stop his motion, he allowed his hand to keep travelling upwards, until he was grazing the underside of her breast. This time, he felt her hand around his wrist, and he held back a chuckle. She always did this, but, she also always gave in. She never truly  _stopped_  him. She never put force behind it, she never used her powers. She was still stuck, trying to give the illusion that she didn't want this - when they both knew she did. It was fine, he could play her little game a little longer.

"Are you sure you want me to stop?" he asked, pulling away so he could look her in the eyes.

"Kouga…"

"I'm not hearing the word no? Is it a yes?"

All she had to do was lean forward, and he would touch her in a way he never had before and yet - her hesitation was there. She already he spelled doomed for her. It didn't matter that she knew better, that she should stay away. He had a way of setting her body on fire and she always wanted  _more_. He'd put his mouth on her and she'd melt. And yet, her pride always stood in the way at first, preventing her from fully letting herself go.

Kouga decided for himself. If she wanted him off, she would have zapped him off by now. He let his fingertips twirl around her nipple, feeling as it hardened under his touch. He kissed her neck, then her chest through the shirt. It wasn't long until he was angling his wrist, causing her shirt to rise even more. He kissed between her breasts while his thumb and index were teasing her left nipple, forcing her to hold her breath. When his wet warm mouth captured her nipple in his mouth, she couldn't stop the moan that melted out of her lips. Her back arched, and she found herself gripping at his shirt as he sucked on it, pulling at it with his mouth.  _Oh fuck_. Oh fuck.

He nibbled at it and she only moaned louder, feeling him with pride. He could already feel his cock swelling with blood, pressing up against her leg.  _He wanted her_. He allowed himself to taste, to tug, to nibble, and all she did was moan beneath him, urging him to take her. He used one hand to steady himself, his mouth still on her nipple, while the other one glided down her stomach, making its way to familiar territories. When he reached the hem of the shorts, he paused for a moment, looking at her. Her eyes were closed, moans spilling out of her as he sucked on her nipple, his breath exhaling loudly against her skin. She wasn't stopping him.

It was all he needed.

Before her next intake of her, he had two digits inside of her and she buckled her hips under the sensation. He pumped them in and out of her way, watching her squirm, his need for release growing with each passing moment. He finally released her breast, moving his way back up to her ear. "Wouldn't something  _thicker_  feel better?" He licked her earlobe. "A thick cock pumping in and out of ya."

She wrapped both of her hands around his arm, but she wasn't trying to slow down the motions or stop them. Her head wanted to explode. She wanted more, and she wanted less at the same time. He wanted her to ask for it, to beg for it but she wouldn't. His thumb circled her clit, and she clenched her legs around his arm.  _Fuck_.

"It'll feel good, Higurashi."

He took advantage of her closed eyes to assault her lips. His mouth was on hers, his tongue slipping inside of her mouth, demanding more - like always. He didn't even have to fight for control; he had the dominance over her. As she molded her body against his, he knew there was one way for him to get the upper hand. When he had her exactly where he wanted her, it was easy to lead her into the depths of her own desire. She just had to let go.

"You know… I'm feeling hungry," he said between kisses.

Her eyes shot open in time to see him beginning his descent and she didn't know if she should let him or stop him. He pulled down her shorts and when she lifted her rear to assist him, she knew better than to think she would stop him. She had never known an orgasm like the one he had given her that night. Cold air ran across her skin as her underwear was pulled away, and before she knew it, his mouth was on her. His tongue dove inside her, lapping at the juices leaking out of her. His thumb return to her clit, making gentle circles as he made slow, torturous motion with his tongue. Her knees were squeezing his head, her fingers sprawled across the sheets as she tried to keep herself quiet.

"Only good loud girls get rewards," he said, momentarily pulling away.

She knew what he was doing; the house was not empty. He wanted  _them_  to hear her.

His mouth hovered above her cunt, his breath teasing her, as he brought forth his fingers. They were close to entering, close to touching her, but he didn't let them in. "Let it out, Higurashi."

She found herself nodding, shame immediately filling her. Had she  _agreed_?

Before she was even given a chance to reconsider her decision, he plunged two fingers inside of her, his tongue joining in.  _"FUCK_." He was curling his fingers, pushing her legs towards her chest to give himself a better access. He was looking for that  _special_  spot. Meanwhile, his tongue lapped at her, playing with her lips, before circling her clit. " _K-kouga_ ," her voice trembled.

"Louder," he demanded.

But the only sound she could make was a  _groan_  - a desperate sound for more. She remembered how big he had felt in her mouth and words of earlier promises were replaying in her head. He was driving her mad now  _with just this_ … and he could do more than that? She couldn't… she wouldn't….

And this fingers kept moving, he kept  _sucking_  and drinking her up… It was there, in the pit of her stomach, the need to come. Her toes began to curl, her throat dried up, and she met every single one of his strokes with her hips. She moved her fingers to his hair, tugging at the long brown locks, silently begging for him to help her reach completion. His speed picked up, and it was  _right_  there, she felt her eyes rolling in the back of her head and then… Nothing.  _Wait. Wait. What?_ Her hips were riding the emptiness, trying to find once more the sensation that he had so cruelly ripped away from her. But no more, it was gone. She heard his chuckle as he popped back up again, his lips glistening and a smirk on his lips.  _He was proud of himself_. She  _needed_  it so bad, she couldn't even be  _mad_  at him. Her body was craving his touch, mourning the loss of an orgasm that had been so delicious, so close.

"The only way you get to come again, is on my cock." He nipped at the top of her breasts. "What do you say, Higurashi? Are you gonna be a good girl and beg for it?"

No. No she wouldn't. And yet, the frustration was building inside of her, the feeling of having been left empty growing. She tried to rub her thighs together, foolishly trying to relieve the tension, but he didn't let her. Instead, he held one of her thigh down. "I don't feel my cock in your wet cunt. Can't come princess."

Fucking asshole. Asshole. She hated him - she  _hated_  him. She couldn't control her breathing, her heart was thumping in her head and she wanted to tell him to go fuck himself but  _it felt so fucking good_. His tongue was heaven, his fingers left her wanting… what would his cock do?

"I-  _Kouga_ …Ple-"

_Knock. Knock_.

The sound acted like a bucket of cold water, pulling her away from her fantasy.

"I -  _It's - hm we_  got someone. Snooping around the shrine."

It was easy to tell that the person behind the door was completely terrified by what they had to do.  _But_  they were more terrified of  _not_  telling him someone had been caught. The smell of what was going on inside that room was  _spilling_  out, and he prayed that Kouga's anger would be rightfully directed.

Kouga pressed his forehead to hers, a smirk on his lips.  _He was fucking pissed_. But she, his precious little prize, the one he had almost gotten - would have to wait. "I guess I'm gonna have to get you to beg one more time," his said, his tone laced with amusement.

She remained voiceless, her heart thundering in her chest as she licked her dry lips, trying to form words.  _She had almost…_  But… she was saved by the  _knock_.

He pressed a kiss to her lips, a chaste one, and he pulled his body away from her, hopping on the ground. "I'll be back."

Kagome watched him disappear, her brain registering everything that had happened. They had found someone - someone around her family's shrine… She hadn't been crazy; someone had been tracking her and surveilling the area.  _Wait_. This was about  _her_. This was about her family. Reality sunk in, and she scrambled to her feet - a lot less gracefully than he had - and she gripped the door handle. She swung the door open, but all she found was an empty hallway. How had they gone so fast? Forgetting about her appearance, she ran down the stairs, hoping to catch him as he left. Unfortunately for her, the entrance was as empty as the rest… She dashed for the window, hoping to see the remnants of the car lights but again  _nothing_.

How had he left so fast? She sighed in resignation as she pressed her back to the door, softly banging her head against it. He might have left her out of a lot of things because  _they didn't concern her_ and  _she wasn't ready to know_  but this was absolutely her business. It was  _her_  life and  _her_ family. He couldn't shut her out of it like this. She deserved to know.

There was _one person_  she could call that might help…

-R-

"Miss Kagome - I - I really wasn't do this."

"Shippo  _please_ , it's important."

"The boss wouldn't want me to do it."

It was insane to her that this level of loyalty existed. It was rare in humans, and despite how much she constantly wanted to see the good in people, she knew that a betrayal could easily happen. Not in this case. The entire pack was completely devoted to Kouga. It was  _admirable_. Sometimes, it almost made her wonder if there was something about him she was  _missing_.

"Shippo, you're - you're not a wolf right?"

"I'm a fox."

"How did you join the pack?"

A half smile tugged at his lips. "It - it's complicated. I had a smaller pack before, when I was a kit… it was my parents, my siblings - cousins… and then one day, when I was still a babe, the  _thunder brothers_  attacked us."

"The thunder brothers?"

"They were these horrible thunder youkais. They wanted our territories, and they weren't gonna stop at anything. My dad tried to protect us the best he could… but in the end we were no match. They killed everyone." He paused, a slight tremble of his bottom lip. "I survived because my dad shielded me with his body…" He glanced down at the floor, shame coating his entire skin. "I- I got to live because I was a coward… Kouga… Kouga and his man, they heard the thunder, they came… but it was too late. They only got me out… they took care of the thunder brothers and… and then Kouga offered me a choice. He told me he could find me another pack of foxes, or I could stay." He palmed at the back of his neck. "I - my dad knew him. I had seen him around before… he wasn't scared. He was never scared. Even then, him against the thunder brothers… he didn't care. I wanted to be like that. I didn't wanna be scared. So I stayed…"

He chuckled. "I - I'm not too strong. But, they're teaching me, and I'm helping any way I can…"

"And that's why you don't wanna betray Kouga…" she finished for him. How was it that everyone had this intense story about Kouga rescuing them, being the good guy? Then again, he had come quickly when she had called for help but… it was like she couldn't see that side of him. There was always a veil, something that made her see different versions of him and she couldn't figure out which one was the  _real_  Kouga. "Shippo, I'm sorry - I didn't know…"

"It's okay Miss Kagome… it was a long time ago. But I owe Kouga a lot. If he didn't take you…"

"He's just trying to protect me," she defended, wondering if she even believed that herself. "But - Shippo… it's my family. I want to protect them too. I don't want to sit here, waiting for someone else to do it. I want to help."

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath as looked downwards, defeated. He knew the feeling a little too well. "I- he really wouldn't like it." She was putting him in a difficult situation. He knew the feeling of being helpless and wanting to do something but… Kouga -  _nope_.

"I know, it's okay. I understand. I don't want you to do something you don't wanna do. I wanted to tell why I asked. Don't worry. I'll wait for him to come back and I'll yell his ears off."

"Get in."

"What?"

"Please, get in the car."

"Shippo…"

"Please. I want to take you."

"Are you sure? What if Kouga -"

"It'll be fine." At least he hoped it would be fine.

"I can't thank you enough," she said with a small smile.

She hurried inside the car, almost scared that he would change his mind. She felt a hint of guilt; he didn't want to do this, and she didn't want to sabotage the relationship he had with Kouga. Obviously, the pack was the only family he had left, and it meant a lot to him. If she did this, she would make sure he was not the one in trouble. She would tell Kouga that she forced him, zapped him,  _lied_ … she didn't care. As long as Shippo didn't take the blame for it. The safest option would be the stay put like he had told her but she couldn't. This was her life, her family. She couldn't stand by and do nothing.

_She had to go_.

-R-


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Thanksgiving in Canada... so I got the day off!

**[Redacted]**

**Part 11**

His knuckles were dripping with blood before he became aware of her intrusion. Kouga's ears twitched as he heard her footsteps getting closer and no one dared to make a sound, afraid to trigger his wrath. He wiped his hands on his pants, tossing one last glance at the half passed out youkai in front of him, before turning his back to his pack. Who the  _fuck_  brought her here? He marched in direction of the large metal door, his fingers crisping with each step he took, and he slid it open only to reveal Kagome on the other side. She was half crouched down, trying to keep her noise level to a minimum and clearly attempting a foolish attempt a sneaking in.

She tilted her head backwards, their eyes meeting and she offered him a sheepish smile. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied back, not skipping a beat.

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here…" she began, straightening up.

"Barely."

She let her eyes roam over his body, finally taking in the fact that he was naked… and bleeding? "Are you hurt?"

He smirked. "You're not getting out of this that easily Higurashi. Why are you here? Who brought you here?"

She shook her head. "This is my own doing. If you wanna be mad at someone, be mad at me."

"It doesn't work like that. Who took you here?" To be honest, the pack had taken a liking to her, and he wasn't surprised that she managed to convince someone to take her - although it didn't mean that he wasn't pissed off.

"No. I'm not letting you take it out on someone. You can blame it on me."

He popped his lips. "Tell ya what. I won't be mad at anyone but… you'll have to agree to one of my demands. Whatever I want. It's a one-time offer Higurashi, and you got 30 seconds. Tic. Toc."

"That's insane. Why would I agree to that?"

"25 seconds. Someone's gonna be in trouble."

Fuck. Shippo took a risk for her, to help her - and now it was her turn and she was hesitating? "But whatever you want is-"

"20 seconds."

"Fine! Okay!"

"Good girl," he said with a smirk. "Glad we settled that. Now you can ask whoever took you here to take you back. See ya." He put his hand on the door, ready to close it.

"Wait," she said, throwing herself in the way. "I didn't agree to this insane deal just so that you could send me back."

He shrugged. "Too late to discuss the terms now."

"Kouga - this is  _my_  life,  _my_  family. I have a right to know what's going on!"

"Don't worry Higurashi. When I get back, I'll tell ya all about it."

"No," she stomped her foot down. Enough of his rules, enough of his power trip. "I want to be a part of it." If she wanted to protect herself and her family, she had to know what she was up against.

"You're not ready to be a part of it."

"I _am_  ready."

She wasn't ready for it and he wasn't ready to show her just yet. She had not idea what they could do and he wanted to maintain her innocence a little while longer. "No."

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows before making a decision; she would not let him dictate everything about her life. He had made enough decisions for her already and it ended now. She came this far, even putting Shippo at risk, and she wasn't going down without a fight. She put both of her hands flat to his chest and allowed her powers to surge through, zapping him. It was enough to surprise him and send him tumbling backwards, allowing her to sneak in. Once he was out of the way, it was easy to see what he had been keeping from her. There he was; the man they had captured. His head was dipped forward, his black hair draping his face. They tied him to the chair with chains and there was a puddle of blood at his feet, soaking his shoes.

She swallowed hard. "Is he dead?"

"If he was dead, I wouldn't get much out of him now would I?" Although he was alive for now. He would not leave this place with a heartbeat.

"What are you doing to him?"

"What I have to do to get answers," he admitted. He hadn't expected her to go as far as using her powers against him. She was getting resourceful.

"So you're torturing him?" She remembered when they had tied her to a chair - although they had never really laid a hand on her.

"Yeah, Higurashi. We're torturing him." His tone was void of emotions, of regrets. He closed the distance between them. "We're torturing the man who was gonna slit your family's throats while they slept."

So far, she had been sheltered from the reality of the darkness that poisoned their world; she believed in the good, the rainbows… she had yet to see the ugliness that this world had to offer.

"Did you talk to him before beating the shit out of him?" Yes, he had been roaming around the shrine, yes her family was her priority but maybe he was just a pawn in all of this.

Kouga let a laughter rumble out of his chest. "Talk to him?" he repeated. "Do you think everyone is nice and plays by the rules, Higurashi? Because I've got some news for you princess. The real world ain't like that."

"But-"

"There ain't no but. This is how we do things. If ya don't like it, well no one invited you." He knew it was too soon for her to be a part of this, but she chose to be stubborn.

"There has to be another way," she defended. If they fought violence with violence, then they were no better.

"There isn't. So get with the program, or go home."

"No."

"I don't care if you're having fun with your powers. I'm gonna carry your ass back to that car and you're not gonna like it."

"You're not just gonna-"

But she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Before she knew it, he was throwing her over his shoulder, her legs kicking up in the air, trying to break free. "Kouga, put me down!"

"Nope."

She put her hands on his flesh, concentrating all of her powers so that she could zap him again. Although she heard him wince multiple times, on top of seeing his muscles clench under the pain, his grip remained as tight as ever; he wasn't letting her go. She stupidly tried it over and over again but all it did was make him snarl loudly, shaking her to her core, while his skin became covered in goosebumps. She knew she was hurting him, but it wasn't stopping him. He only came to a halt once they stepped outside, her head bouncing as he stopped.

Kouga quickly spotted Shippo, his orange hair tangled with the wind as he leaned against the car. "Hey kid."

Shippo's eyes bulged as he turned around, ready to get an earful. "Yes, boss?"

"Take her back - and keep her there this time," he warned.

That was it? No beating? No yelling? No getting rid of him? He had seen a lot worse happen for a lot less. "Ehm, yes, boss. Sorry, boss."

Kouga used his free hand to open the car's door, and he threw Kagome inside. "I kept my word. Now be a good girl and go home." He turned to Shippo, his eyes narrowed. "Lock the doors," and with that command spoken, he slammed the door shut in her face.

He could hear her muffled screams echoing in the car. "Good luck with that," he directed at Shippo. "And kid?" He paused, for a second, his aura sizzled around his body. "Don't disobey my orders again, got it?"

"Won't happen again, sir," he scrambled to reply.

He didn't know what Kagome had said or done, but he had never seen Kouga let something slide like this. However, he was not one to question his blessings, and he hurried inside the car. He knew Kagome would be less than pleased with this outcome, and he felt terrible about it but there was little he could do. He already put his life on the line once and he would not risk catching Kouga in a bad mood next time. She  _was_  in there for a bit, hopefully, she gathered some information. As he got in the car, she immediately said his name, and out of guilt, he pressed the button which caused the separating wall to lift into place.

That would not make her any happier, and it was twisting his stomach into knots - but what was he supposed to do?

All he could do at this point was to make sure that he got her back safely or else, Kouga would have his head.

-R-

Two hours.

That was how long Kagome stayed in the car after their arrival back at the mansion. She didn't want to see anyone, she didn't want to talk to anyone. Shippo tried to talk to her, tried to get her to get out, but she refused. Kouga was  _infuriating_. Who did he think he was, manhandling her, throwing her back in a car? Was that what he did when someone had a different opinion than him? It sounded like he was a running a dictatorship more than anything else. So now she wasn't allowed an opinion? Even when  _her_  life was on the line? She understood that if they had no caught this man, it might have ended badly. She just wasn't sure it was the best way to get information. How did he know he wasn't lying? Maybe he would simply say what Kouga wanted to hear so that he would be released! It wasn't a foolproof method.

It wasn't until her phone beeped that she was pulled out of her rage. She had a class in 30 minutes. What was she supposed to do? She knew she came here for her own protection; after all,  _she_  was the one who called Kouga. Still, would the campus really be a bad place? After all, who would abduct her in such a public place? It would be hard to attack her when everyone was watching. Granted, it wouldn't be wise to hang out around the school, but there shouldn't be any harm in  _going_  to her class. And so, she had convinced Shippo to take her to the university. He hadn't been in favour of the idea, neither had Hakkaku - which is why he was sitting next to her at the moment. They could not reach Kouga, which was no surprise, and they were scared at this point that she would try to go on her own, anyway. It was best if they took her since that way, they could control more variables and risks.

"You go straight to your class."

"Yes."

"And the moment that bell rings, you come right back out."

"Yes."

Hakkaku didn't like this. He knew the moment Kouga would learn of this, he would have his head for it. But what was he supposed to do? Kagome was a stubborn one - which she had shown by showing up completely unannounced to one of their hideouts. "And I'll be making rounds the whole time. No one weird is getting anywhere near you. I swear."

"I know."

She knew they were pretty displeased with her, and she was pretty annoyed at the whole thing, but - they had been risking their own lives for her and her family and she was grateful for that. They didn't have to patrol around the shrine, they didn't have to come get her when she called in a panic. And she knew Kouga could be  _intense_. Still. It didn't change the fact that she could not let  _him_  control every aspect of her life. Enough was enough.

"How long is this class again?"

"3 hours."

"Is it always on time?"

"Usually."

"Then after 3 hours, I want to see you pass those doors."

"Hakkaku, it'll be fine. There are youkais at the school. I doubt anyone would go undetected. I promise, I'll stick to the busy hallways and I'll go in and out as rapidly as I can."

"Good."

The car finally came to a stop, and she let out a breath of relief. "I'll be back, I promise," she said as she grabbed her yellow bag pack from the backseat and threw it over her shoulder.

"You better or -"

"Or Kouga is gonna be mad?" she said with a chuckle. "He's  _your_  boss. Plus, he's clearly got better things to do." Like refusing to talk to her, or keeping things from her. So he didn't know about this. Maybe he shouldn't be so secretive, and more inclusive, and he would be more up to date about her life. This was on  _him_.

She waved at Shippo and Hakkaku as she bolted out of the car. She made sure her steps were quick, her eyes scanning every person who walked near her.  _Yes_ , she was confident enough to come to class - however, that did not mean she thought it was danger free. Whoever was after her would be an idiot to do it in a crowd of people where he could be easily detected. Still, she would stick to groups, and she wouldn't be out of the classroom too long. She allowed her aura to slightly rise, surrounding her with a thin veil; that way, if anyone suspicious came along, it should trigger her new alert senses. Hopefully, she'd be able to get a good  _zap_  in if it happened.

Kagome walked through the giant wooden doors, relief washing over her. A few more steps, and she would be in her classroom. As she was about to get in line with the other students, she suddenly felt a hand gripping at her wrist and her heart raced. Her first instinct was to try to pull herself free, but as the blur in front of her became clearer, she recognized the silver hair mane that was swinging around with each time he took; Inuyasha. What? He was pulling her, dragging her, but not speaking a word. She offered a slight resistance, to let him know she was less than pleased with his method of talking to her, but she allowed him to drag her somewhere anywhere. Her feet were flying off the ground as they turned and took different hallways until he finally yanked her inside a classroom and shut the door loudly behind them.

"What the hell?"

She frowned. "I should be the one asking you what the hell you're doing!" she exclaimed, her hands fisted at her sides. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? Keh." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "What's wrong with  _you_? Why do you smell like wolves?"

Wait. That was it? After months of not talking to her… he dragged her across the campus to ask her why she smelled like  _wolf_? Was he serious? "You know what? It's none of your business. We're not friends. Not anymore anyway. You made sure of that."

Yeah, well, that should tell you how idiotic it is for you to be hanging out with wolves!" She didn't get it. She didn't understand. He was doing this  _for her_. She should know better than to hang out with no good wolves. Hadn't he made it clear enough that they were trash? Why did they hang out for years if she was just going to turn around and stab him in the back like this?

"There's nothing wrong with them, but there is something seriously wrong with you!" she shouted. "If you think you can ignore me, destroy our friendship and then - and then make decisions for me - you've got it all wrong. I hang out with who I want. And the last person who gets anything to say about it -  _is you_."

"You don't know what you're doing."

"No,  _you_  have no idea what you're doing. How about you tell me instead why you shut me out?"

"Because you told me you had feelings for me! It's all your fault!" It was much easier when he thought she wouldn't give him the time of day, when he thought he would be her friends forever. He could bury his feelings if she didn't return them. But then she had to ruin it, she had to tell him that she liked him. Why did she do that? Why did she ruin everything?

" _Excuse me!"_  She could feel the tears burning at her eyes while her voice began to tremble. "Inuyasha, we have been friends forever. It was fine if you didn't like me back. I wouldn't have forced you to be with me. I would have dropped it. We could have been friends. You were my  _best_  friend, and that was more important than anything else. But clearly it only meant something  _to me_." She would have spent forever at his side, even if it caused her a little bit of hurt, even if she had to love him in silence. It didn't matter. He was an important person in her life and if having him as her best friend was all that she could have, she was fine with that. But he tossed her aside like she meant nothing to him.

"You don't understand."

She leaned backwards, a few of her tears sliding down her cheeks. "You're right. I don't understand how I ever thought I was in love with you. But I'm glad you were there to realize it was a giant mistake." She wiped her cheeks cleaned, trying to regain her composure. He didn't waste any time on her until she started smelling like someone else. Well, she would not waste anymore time on him. She would go to class and forget about this. "I have class," she said in an icy tone before she walked past him. Her shoulder bumped into him, but he didn't bulge.

"You're making a mistake Kagome," he said as, never looking at her.

Why couldn't she understand? Why did she want to know more than she needed to? He was doing this  _for_ her. None of this had been for him. He had been the one shouldering the whole burden and she didn't appreciate a second of it.

"No, I already made a mistake. Now I'm correcting it."

Kouga might be stubborn, he might have pushed her to her limits, but he had always been crystal clear with her and with his intentions. When he didn't want to tell her something, he said so. At least, she knew was she was getting into with him and there was no fake facade or fake promises. He was pissing her the fuck off but - at least it was with the truth. He didn't sugarcoat it for her sake. She could respect that… She grabbed the handle of the door, her sweaty hand almost sliding off and she cleared her throat before she twisted it. "Goodbye, Inuyasha."

The door slammed shut behind her and he winced at the sound.  _Fuck_.

Kagome's vision was blurry from the tears as she headed down the hallway. Stupid idiot  _dog_. She didn't even know where he took her with all of this. Couldn't he have just talked to her in the hallway like a normal freaking person?  _Seriously_. Her body was shaking in anger as she took quick steps, knowing she was late for her class. She had managed to get herself all the way to campus for her class, and now she would miss it because of Inuyasha. Everything he did irked her at this moment. He could keep his opinions to himself. She could hang out with whoever she wanted, she could  _be_  with whoever she wanted. If she wanted to  _fuck_  Kouga, she could. It didn't concern him and his opinion didn't matter. He broke her heart, he broke their friendship apart - he didn't get to dictate her life like this.

She looked up, noticing there was a crossroad at the end of the hall. If she remembered correctly, she needed to go left.

However, before she could take another step, she felt it;  _the chill_. It was that presence, whatever had been following her yesterday… it was here. She looked around but saw nothing. There was nothing, there was no one. Panic took hold of her heart, and she felt her skin crawling. Could she scream for Inuyasha? Would he come? Did she want him to? There didn't seem to be anyone else nearby who could help her. The hallway was empty, - Inuyasha had taken her to the  _perfect_  location for her assailant. Her lips parted, and she decided to give in; screaming for Inuyasha, even if he didn't come, was maybe enough to scare away whoever was after her…

"I-"

But no more sound escaped her. Instead, she found herself breathing against a warm, sweaty palm. Her eyes widened, her pulse quickening while she began to be lifted up from the ground. She kicked her legs, trying to break free, while her teeth were desperately trying to scrape at the skin over her mouth, but it was without hope. Whoever had a hold of her was a lot stronger than her. As she trashed in his arms, she suddenly felt something  _wet_  on her cheek. It took her a moment to realize… he was  _licking_  her face. She could feel the roughness of his tongue as he kept licking at her over and over again. She whimpered against his hand, goosebumps forming on her skin.  _Fucking creep_. His tongue travelled to her ear, licking every edges and crevasses.

"You taste good," a voice said in her ear.

She recognized it. She had heard that voice before. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember where.  _Come on Kagome, come on_. But nothing came to mind.

"I'm gonna have a lot of fun tasting you," he added, a chuckle echoing in her ear.

She tried to scream, but he simply pressed his hand harder against her mouth, muffling any sounds.

"Now, now we can't have you screaming can we? What if your little friend comes?" He nibbled at her earlobe. "Then again, I should thank him for making it so easy for me. I was going to watch you, wait for the right opportunity, but he handed me your life on silver platter. What a good dog."

Because Inuyasha hadn't screwed her life enough - he had to do this on top of it.

"Now, let's get you somewhere safe before your friends find you. We wouldn't want the wolf to get upset already now would we?"

He knew Kouga. Was he? No, Kouga had told her he wasn't the spider - but… but he made her skin crawl. She had a few seconds, a few moments to try to find a way out of this… She tried to kick down, tried to smash his foot, but she couldn't reach the ground. She tried to jam her elbows in his chest, but he wasn't reacting. He was, however, keeping her hands at bay… did he know? Did he do it on purpose so that she couldn't zap him?

For a second, she could breathe. His hand moved away from her mouth and she launched herself forward, wanting to scream. But he was faster than her. As the air filled her lungs, expanding them, a wet cloth was put on her mouth, replacing his hand.  _No, no_. Her eyelids began to come heavy, impossible to keep open. Inuyasha, she tried to say, but no sound came out. She became soft, goo in his arms as she closed her eyes one last time…

-R-

"Got anything else to say?"

Kouga was holding his black hair, pulling back at it, forcing him to look at him. The two blue lines that went from his eyebrows to his cheeks and across his two eyes were covered in blood, much like the rest of his face. The man chuckled, coughing up some blood as he did so. "Haven't said anything yet…"

No, he hadn't. No matter how much Kouga tortured him, no matter how much he hurt him, he remained silent. Much like their other victim had. Why did they all show such a loyalty to the spider? He hadn't gotten one of them to break yet - it wasn't normal. There was always a weak link, a way to get a word or two but all of his men were fucking mutes. It wasn't normal. He was doing something to them, or he was holding something over their heads. It was the only way he could get this kind of loyalty from them, he was sure of it. These types of people should only have their own interest at heart, they should be easily corrupted. A better deal came along? They took it. It was how it worked, how it had always worked and yet…

"The spider is worth your life?" he asked, pulling on his hair more, bending his neck so much, it threatened to snap.

"You don't know what my life is worth," he said, smiling with his bloody teeth. He could no longer feel his right leg, but he was sure it was due to a fracture. He had wasted as much time as he could, figuring his brothers would be here soon. They could take on this little pack; it wasn't a problem. They had dealt with a lot worse in the past.

Kouga finally released his grip on him, a dark chuckle bubbling from his chest. "You think your life is worth something? You think the spider would be willing to lose something to get you back?" He had seen it before; the spider would sacrifice even his closest men if it meant he got to live. He was a coward with no honour. He only thought of himself and his own survival. He was a fucking parasite and nothing more.

"You don't know."

It happened in a blink. Kouga lifted his leg, planting his foot in the man's chest, sending him flying backwards. He put all of his weight on it, the sound of the bones snapping under the pressure as he did so. He leaned forward more, and more, his foot almost sinking in as the ribs were no longer preventing his descent. "I do know. I know that fucking spider better than you do." He wasn't blinded by fake promises and deals. He knew exactly what kind of monster he was up against. And now that monster had put his sight on Kagome. "What does he want with her?"

Her. It was always  _her_. He hadn't understood at first, especially when he had been told to head to the shrine… but then… as this idiotic wolf kept pummelling him, he understood. "Oh, that's an easy one." He licked his lips, tasting his own blood as it filled the cracks of his injured, busted lips.

Kouga had asked him repeatedly, but he had never answered him. For a brief second, he lifted his foot, allowing the air to fill his punctured lungs. Something was wrong. He shouldn't suddenly be changing his mind. He was toying with him - and yet; he would hear him out. He was running out of time, running out of options.

Every breath was hell, like a fire burning through his chest. " _He wants to play with her._ " The wolf was showing his cards. He was letting himself be weak. "He wants to take that pretty little thing and ram her cunt-"

But he spoke no more words. Kouga's eyes filled with a crimson red and then smashed his foot back into his chest. Except this time, he never stopped. He dug his foot into his chest cavity, the bones shattered to a dust, as he kept on smashing, and smashing until the man was nothing but hollow. _But that wasn't enough._  Fire spread through his veins, the words ringing in his ears and fuelling his adrenaline. He moved his target; his face. And then he repeated his previous actions. He used his foot to smash his face in, watching as the nose broke first, blood splattering the rest of the face and the bottom of his boot.  _But that wasn't enough._ He kept at it until the eye sockets gave in; the eyeballs drooping out of the holes, hanging by a thread. The cheekbones were gone next, causing the whole face to sink in.  _But that wasn't enough._ He growled as he kept going and going until there was nothing left, no more sound under his kicks.

There was nothing but a mess of flesh and blood underneath him. His stomping had been hard enough that the blood had reached his legs, his chest… and even his face. But he didn't care. He kept going.

It wasn't until Ginta dared to break the silence of his rage by taking a step forward that he stopped. His eyes narrowed, and he looked at his beta. "What?" he said between tight lips.

But Ginta could find no words. He had seen Kouga angry before; he had seen him vengeful but - there was something animalistic in his eyes that was _new_. He would not stop. He would never stop. Except - there was no one left to torture, no one left to speak. They needed to find a new plan, a new course of action, and he wasn't convinced that his leader was currently thinking with a clear head. Although he had to agree; it was clear that monster would never talk. Dead or alive, it hardly made a difference. But that didn't change the facts; they were back to the beginning.

Before Kouga could ask him the same question again, the sound of his cellphone ringing echoed through the room. He never took his eyes off Ginta as he reached for it in his pocket, slowly pulling it out. He didn't even look at his screen as he answered the call. " _This better be important_."

Everyone watched, holding their breaths, as they waited for their leader to speak again. But before he spoke again, his eyes changed; they hardened, they became colder, more dangerous. "What do you mean  _she's gone_?"

_Not good_. Ginta's eyes darted around in the room, seeing the looks of worries on everyone's face. He could not make out the words spoken, but he knew the person behind the call; Hakkaku. If he was risking endangering his own life by delivering the bad news, it meant things weren't looking good.

" _You let her go where?_ "

Was everyone a fucking moron? Had they learned  _nothing_? How was it that this tiny human woman could lead his whole fucking pack like this? How did they let her have her way no matter what? They should have known that it didn't fucking matter where she was; nowhere was safe. The spider was everywhere and nowhere at once. On campus. She disappeared on fucking campus. The spider was getting bolder, and he wasn't stopping. The man's words echoed in his head;  _he wants to play with her_. What the fuck was he going to do? And where the fuck did he take her?

"Have everyone sweep the campus. If there's a fucking hair, I want it found do you understand me? You ask everyone if they saw her, I don't care what kind of fucking panic that causes."

He paused, waiting for Hakkaku to talk. " _Well, some girl says she saw her leave with a boy with silver hair."_ Hakkaku tried to convince Shippo to call Kouga, but he wouldn't have it.

_"_ What colour hair?"

" _Silver_."

Silver. Silver fucking hair. That fucking asshole. No, no. He couldn't be working for the spider, could he? He had sensed something off about him but - he had never known the dogs to betray other youkais like this. They weren't on the same fucking side but they sure as fuck didn't associate with that piece of shit. Taisho had too much honour to stoop so low. That couldn't be it.

"Is he still on campus?"

" _Yeah._ "

"I'm on my way."

It was time he had a fucking chat with that piece of trash. If he was the last one that saw Kagome, he better have some fucking answers for him. He would beat his fucking face in until he got what he wanted.

"Clean this up," he said as he shoved his phone back in his pocket. "Ginta you're coming with me."

"Yes, sir." He didn't argue, he didn't ask more questions. He simply rushed to his leader's side.

Kouga grabbed his shirt from the ground, slipping it on.

_Someone would pay for this_. He didn't care who, but someone would pay.

-R-


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **********TRIGGER WARNING**************
> 
> The first scene of this chapter might be a trigger for some people regarding mentions of rape and a few nonconsensual actions/touching.

 

It stung, like burning flesh. Her eyes were heavy: too heavy for her to consider opening them. As she felt herself pulling away from the darkness, sounds began ringing in her ears - it was like laughter were echoing inside her head. Her lips were parted, her mouth was dry and her throat was on fire; how long had she been heaving? Her eyelashes were stuck together from what she assumed to be tears. Where the fuck? After numerous attempts at opening her eyes, she finally succeeded. Everything in her sight was bright and blurry, taking time before it sharpened and became clearer. She saw many pairs of eyes looking at her, but none that she recognized. Who were these people and why did her arms feel like someone was trying to rip them out of their sockets? Pain shot from her elbows to her shoulders, forcing her to wince.

"She's awake," said an icy voice behind her.

Kagome tried to turn to see the person but quickly found that she couldn't. Tied. They tied her arms above her head. As that realization sank in, memories of her abduction flooded her mind. Panic took hold of her as frantically tried to break free from her constraints.  _No, no, no._

"And now she remembers." The man chuckled before moving, his steady steps echoing loudly on the concrete floor. "I was starting to think we had worn you out."

Worn her out? Her head dipped forward and the first thing she noticed was her tattered clothes; they looked like someone had sliced them. Not only that, but they were covered in blood... her blood? Her mind was still numb, probably blocking some of the pain. Finally, he came into view, long wavy brown hair, red shining eyes, a cold smile... she had seen that face before. Where? When?

"I'm afraid we were bored. We got the fun started while you slept." He could be a patient man, but his minions were eager. How could he refuse them a little fun?

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" she shouted, her voice trembling.

His smile grew. "I have many names. Your little wolf probably calls me the spider."

The spider... the one who had almost killed Kouga?

As her face dropped, he laughed. "There's the fear I had been waiting for." He took a step forward, how despite how much she wriggled, she could not move and could not put distance between them. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, preventing her from yanking her face from his grip. "I never thought I'd see that expression on that face again," he added, tilting her head left and then right. "Did anyone ever tell you how much you look like her?"

"W-what?" He couldn't possibly be talking about her...

"Beautiful, deadly Kikyo... If I didn't know better I would think that you are her."

He knew her grandmother... but how? Had Kouga been keeping things from her? No...

"I could easily make do with you..." His meaning soon became clear when he used his grip to bring her face closer to his. He wasted no time in sticking his tongue out before licking the side of her face from jaw to eye. "You almost taste the same," he whispered before allowing himself another lick, sending shudders of disgust down her spine. "I wonder if you feel just as good as she did." He nibbled at her cheek, breaking the skin and spilling blood.

Bile was rising in her throat while her desperation grew; she needed to get away from him. How did he know her grandmother? They couldn't have had that type of relationship. From the information she had gathered, her grandparents had tried to help and free people from monsters like him. Her grandfather loved his wife... she couldn't have betrayed him with someone as disgusting and repulsive as this creature. It was impossible. He had talked about her for hours, days and months. How could the woman he loved cheat on him with such a disgusting creature? No, this was part of his plan. This was his goal; to turn her against her own family.

"What do you want from me?" she repeated through gritted teeth. He was trying to get into her head and she refused to let it happen. She would fight him. If only she could get her hands free... It might not be enough considering what he had done to Kouga but it might be enough to give her a chance…

"I want to play with you." He lowered himself, nestling his face in her neck before he ran his tongue down the column of her throat. "Salty," he said with a chuckle.

Then suddenly, she felt a gust of wind before a sharp pain pulsed through her abdomen. She had time to see a whip like purple light retracting from his fingers before it vanished from her sight. Then she saw it; blood splattering the floor - her blood. A giant gash from her stomach began bleeding, leaving her breathless. Even her grunts of pain were completely silent.

"You priestesses take all the fun out of torturing," he said, disappointed. "If you were anyone else, my miasma would already work its way across your bloodstream by now. Those purification powers can be a real pain, you know." And another slash. Across her legs this time. "They can also be very useful. Such talents are wasted with that foolish wolf. But don't worry little one. I'll make better use of them than he ever did." Yes, he would use her to cover his one weakness. "He should have done a better job of protecting his assets," he added, running his hand across her cheek.

"He'll come," she spat out. They had to find her, they had to...

He laughed. "Of course. Eventually. Maybe. But he won't be coming for you." The confusion on her face was obvious. "Now, now little one. Don't tell me you think he cares for you outside of your powers. All that wolf wants is his own little priestess all to himself. You didn't fall for his deceit did you?"

His words stung like a knife to the heart. No, it wasn't just that. They made a deal. He came when she called... he helped her. She would know if he was playing her, wouldn't she? He was pouring a lot of resources into her, including her into the pack... but he had always been blunt with her, hadn't he? Or was it all part if a greater scheme? Why was he wasting his precious time on her?

"I'm right aren't I?" His hand slipped from her cheek to her shoulder and then he followed the lines of her body, gripping at her breast, her waistline and stopping at her rear. He squeezed his claws through the fabric, ripping her skirt, damaging her skin. "Don't worry. I'll appreciate all of you." He loved the little zing of their powers against his flesh as he fucked them.

"Get your nasty hands off of me," she screamed, her eyes bloodshot.

His eyes narrowed before he released her rear, instead grabbing the back of her neck, her hair tangled with his fingers. He pressed her body to his, feeling her softness. "I can promise you little one. I will do a lot more than put my nasty hands on you." He pulled her hair, forcing her head backwards. "I'm sure that in time, you'll learn to enjoy it. Your whore of a grandmother did. Why would you be any different?"

He's messing with your head, he's messing with your head, she kept repeating. "I'll never enjoy anything you do to me." She tried to put on a brave front but the tears were stinging her eyes: what if no one came? What if they never found her? She would be at his mercy. She would be his plaything. How much did she resist Kouga's touch? Denying it because all he wanted was to fuck her and nothing more? Now that was captured, a prey, she'd gladly trade and have Kouga all over her. If she had listened, gave in more to the sensations, would she still be tied to a pole, waiting for this monster to torture and rape her?

As one single tear slid down her cheek, he licked it off her skin. "No, no. Don't cry now. I'm being nice. You're gonna wanna save some of those for later. I'll give you plenty of reasons to cry then."

"I'm not gonna let you touch me," she defied, her words dripping with hatred.

The corners of his lips tugged into a smile. She had the same fighting spirit as Kikyo. It got his blood pumping, the familiar rush of adrenaline running through his veins. "You mean like this," he asked, his hands massaging her breasts through her shirt. "Or more like this?" He slipped his fingers under her short, feeling the crusted blood on her stomach. "Or maybe this is how you won't let me touch you," he taunted, his hands sliding down, snaking up her inner thighs so that he could rub her through her underwear. "You can't stop me," he said, his fingers threatening to push in despite the fabric. "He can't stop me. No one can. I'll take what I want when I want. But don't worry. Eventually, you'll love it, you'll beg for it." For a second, he allowed himself a small pleasure; he dipped the tip of his finger inside, already feeling his excitement growing.

Despite the pastiness of her mouth, she gathered what little saliva she had and spat in his face, managing to land it in his eye. "I'll never like anything you do."

His face was stoic as he wiped the spit out of his eye with the back of his hand. "We must break through that little attitude of yours because we teach you how to use your powers better." But the threat didn't end there. Faster than she could spot it, he rose a fist, hitting her square in the eye, forcing her head backwards from the impact and strength of the blow. Uninjured himself, he lowered his arm back down. "You'll learn. The less you fight me, the better for you."

He sighed, turning around so that she faced his back. "I think a good hard lesson is the best way to learn. Let's see how far we can push you before your powers show in other ways than through those pretty little fingers of yours." He had seen Kikyo and the extent of her powers; this girl had a lot of hidden power. And since he was so kind, he would help her nurture this great power.

"Boys, you have my permission to test your powers on her," he announced, a smile beaming on his face. "Do remember though, that I am not done with her. I need her alive and functioning." Roars of joy echoed through the quiet room as he felt the youkis of his slaves perk up. Yes, this would do nicely.

He clapped his hands together before he focused his attention back on Kagome once more. "We'll see if you keep that little attitude for long." He grabbed her face with his hands, squeezing it, his thumb and index digging into her cheeks, forcing her mouth open. "And if it doesn't go away, then we'll just have to hear you scream while I taste you." He dipped his head forward, his tongue sticking out as he forced it in her mouth, twirling it around hers. "Either way, it works for me."

These were the last words he spoke before he walked away from her. Everyone had a breaking point, a point where you could get them to agree to anything. They were about to find out how far she was willing to go... and if it didn't prove to be enough, he had other ways to break her spirits. And he knew those would be effective. However, he would not put himself at risk  _before_ he knew just how strong she was. It was best to have his little minions test it out and put themselves in harm's way.

-R-

A whirlwind. That was all Inuyasha had time to see before he was violently smacked into a red brick wall, away from the walking path of the campus. The sound of his back cracking rippled through the vicinity and fell upon deaf ears; there was no one around them. His amber eyes cracked open, and he saw piercing blue eyes staring at him, fire shining in them. It smelled like wolf; the same wolf smell that clung to Kagome's skin. It had to be him. The stranger's arm was across his chest, keeping him trapped and pinned down between the wall and his body. He tried to fight against the pressure a few times, but it was to no avail. The fucking bastard had snuck up on him.

"What the fuck do you want flea bag?"

"Don't fuck with me, you mutt. The only reason I haven't ripped your heart out of your chest is because I need something." He used his grip on his shoulder to smack him against the brick wall once more. "I won't ask a second time, so listen up. Where the fuck is Kagome?"

Who the fuck was this guy and who did he think he was getting involved with Kagome? If he thought he would let a useless wolf pin him down... Inuyasha used his sharp claws to slash him across the chest. The sudden burning pain was enough to loosen his grip and Inuyasha took advantage of the distraction to break free. Once he put enough distance between them, he cracked his knuckles: he would whoop his ass. "Why the fuck do you wanna know about Kagome?" Maybe despite all the hurtful shit she said to him, she had taken his advice and stay the fuck away from the wolf and now he was freaking the fuck out about it. As if he would help him stalk Kagome.

That fucking idiot; he hadn't even realized that Kagome was taken. He was fucking useless. He shouldn't even fucking tell him but at the same time, he wanted him to know how much of an idiot he was. "Someone took her you fucking moron. Because of you."

Since the revelation left Inuyasha stunned, Kouga took advantage of his vulnerable state and punched him across the jaw. If it weren't for him, Kagome would be safe.

Inuyasha spit blood as he stood back straight. "What the fuck do you mean she was taken?" She had yelled at him a few hours ago. She had left. She had been fine.

"I mean someone fucking took her and now you're telling me your useless ass didn't see shit. So you're no help and now I can fucking kill you and it won't matter."

"Keh, I'd like to see you try." Inuyasha was torn between his need to pummel him to the fucking ground and the need to find out what happened to Kagome. Was it really his fault?

"I'll happily show you why you're nothing more than a fucking mutt." Everything about him enraged him. How could he not give a shit that Kagome was missing? How did she even waste her time on him? He was stupid, and he didn't look like much... He was beneath getting the chance to bury himself between her legs. She would have been wasted on him. He couldn't do anything for her that much was clear.

"How do you know she was taken?" Inuyasha asked, never taking his eyes off him as he waited for him to strike. "And why the fuck did she smell like you?" He wasn't her type, he was sure of it.

It was difficult for Kouga to contain his smirk. Was that jealousy? "She smells like me because she's mine," he replied with a growl. "I'm the one who gets to taste her. It's my name she screams."

At his words, Inuyasha felt his blood boil; Kagome would never stoop so low. She wouldn't let someone like him put his filthy hands on her. She had more honour than that. "You lying flea bag."

Kouga could beat him to a pulp - and he would - but this was almost more enjoyable. He wanted him to suffer for what he had done. "If you weren't a fucking idiot, you'd know how good she smells when she's dripping wet, or you'd know how she blushes when you finger her... or that little sound she makes when she's about to come. Let's not forget how she looks, down on her knees with a cock in her pretty little mouth-" but he never got to finish his sentence.

Inuyasha launched himself at him, knocking him to the ground. He used his temporary upper hand to land a few punches on his face, quickly hearing the sound of bones crushing. Kagome wouldn't do it. She wouldn't get down on her knees for scum like him. "You're lying. You're lying."

Suddenly a tornado of wind hit Inuyasha right in the chest and before he could blink, he was sent flying into a nearby tree. He winced, watching through half-opened eyelids as the wolf stood back up. How was that fucking asshole doing this? Fucking wolf.

"Now I have a food reason to kill you." Kouga smiled. It was not like he even needed a reason to do it, but it would help if he could justify why he ended his pathetic little life.

"Keh, I'd rather be dead than to ever let you near Kagome again."

"It's a little late for that, trust me." Granted, he hadn't gotten all of her yet, but that stupid little dog didn't need to know that. All he needed to know was where the fuck Kagome was and he didn't even fucking know that. He would rip his neck from his body and then find Kagome so that he could finally kill that spider and be done with that shit.

The words alone were enough to get Inuyasha riled up again. Another punch, another hit. He tried to slice the wolf again, but he was too fast, his swipe landing into the emptiness. Kouga kicked him in the face with his right foot, but Inuyasha kept steady on his feet. This guy was bad news for Kagome, that much was clear. If she would not stay away from him, he would solve the problem for her by taking him out of the equation. If he was gone, there would be no issue. And Kagome wouldn't be getting in situations where she got kidnapped. This asshole might say it was his fault but Kagome never got in that kind of trouble before she started smelling like a wolf.

Blood splattered the ground, staining the grass, as their brawl got progressively louder and messier. Kouga knew he could end his pathetic life and yet, he was holding back. The dog was slow; it would be easy to snap his neck or rip his heart out. And yet, part of him wondered if it was something Kagome would forgive. Clearly, she still talked to that useless piece of trash. Even though he was worthless. It shouldn't matter. She didn't know what was good for her because if she did she wouldn't have gone to her fucking class in the first place. And she wouldn't have run into Inuyasha. Everything would be fine if she listened to him.

As he made the decision that killing him was the only possible option, his cellphone vibrated. He moved out of the way, avoiding Inuyasha's strike and picked up his phone. "Did you find her?"

" _We got some people talking. Few bribes here and there. We got the surveillance footage. We can see every car that came and went. We got the list of all the cars registered to students. We can cross reference most of them and then go from the pile that_ ' _s left._ "

"I'm on my way back. Call everyone we know at the police station. Call in every favour, bride or threaten any of those assholes–as many as you can. I don't care how much and have them run the full list. They'll probably be a lot faster than us."

" _Yes, boss. Do you need us to send the cleaning crew?_ "

"No, that stupid dog is still alive. For now. Shippo's gonna drive me back. Get your asses moving."

Inuyasha had refrained from attacking the second he had mentioned the word  _her_. He wasn't kidding; Kagome was missing. Who would take her? Kagome wasn't rich, and she wouldn't hurt anyone. If someone wanted to hurt her, it was because of that wolf; he knew it.

"What kind of shit did you get her mixed up in?"

He scoffed. "He only got her because you're fucking useless. What kind of youkai doesn't sense another youkai? Pathetic. Now why don't you run home, thanking the gods I didn't kill you. I gotta fix up the mess you made."

"She's my friend. Not yours. I'll get her."

"You don't even know anything. Last time I tell you. Back the fuck up." He needed to get back and make sure those shitheads were doing as they were told.

"She's not any of your business."

He tried. He did.

Kouga put his hand to his chest and used his speed to slam him into the wall, his claws digging into chest. His claws broke through the red shirt, through the flesh, spilling blood. "Give me one reason I shouldn't end your pathetic life right now."

He couldn't move. If he did, he risked him ripping his heart out or at least damaging it severely. He was stuck. He had fought, but he hadn't made any deadly moves yet: he didn't think he would. What kind of fucking psychopath was she hanging out with? "If you kill me, she'll hate you."

He laughed. "I don't care if she hates me. She can hate me and still let me in between her legs." He wasn't trying to marry her. He wanted to keep her around in the pack and fuck her senseless. He had considered her hating him. But he decided it didn't matter. "She'd also have to know it's me."

He would use Kagome like a toy; his rage seeped into his blood, his eyes turning red. He growled, fangs poking out of his mouth. All it did was make Kouga laugh. "You think your little youki rush is gonna scare me? It'll just make me rip you apart faster." Like he hadn't taken down youkais stronger than him. Like he hadn't killed for less than this. He dug his fingers deeper, his claws shredding away at muscles. "Any last word, hanyou?"

As on cue, his phone vibrated again. Fuck. "I don't wanna see you around her again. EVER. Or I will kill you."

That was the last warning he gave him before he sped away, leaving Inuyasha to drop to the ground, his heart racing. His eyes slowly turned back to white as he glanced around at his vicinity. He needed to track the scent, find Kagome. He didn't care what that bastard had said; if anyone would die, it was him. He would not let him put Kagome in danger and get away with it. He didn't know how, but he would find her and then he would kill that wolf for humiliating him like this. It didn't matter if Kagome hated him forever; at least she would be safe. She could not see all the things he did for her, all the sacrifices he went through just so that she could be safe or happy. It was fine. She could be ungrateful; as long as he knew she was  _alive_.

He hated that fucking wolf.

-R-

" _Well_?"

"No calls yet."

"Call them again."

"Which ones?"

"All of them -  _I don't care._ "

The hours were ticking, and by now they had watched half of the footage. They weren't fast enough - even with the skipping and fast forwarding through the videos. They couldn't take a chance and only watch around the time she left. That bastard could have parked earlier in the day and waited for her all day. He doubted he lurked around one fucking hallway and prayed she showed up. No, instead, he had treated her like a prey and he had hunted her like one. He couldn't be perfect; no one was. There had to be a mistake, a slip up - something. He was sure of it. Maybe if they watched long enough, they could find it but he didn't think they had that kind of time. The spider calculated every move and if he took Kagome, it wasn't to keep her locked up somewhere and wait. He also had to know that Kouga was coming for him; he wouldn't want to miss his window of opportunity.

"Yes, boss."

Everyone was on pins and needles, doing their best to please their alpha. The uneasiness rolling off of him was not helping anyone. He was pissed off, he was enraged and most of all, Kouga did not like to lose. It didn't matter that Kagome wasn't officially a member. It didn't matter what she wasn't his mate or anything like that. He had labelled her as his, as something he was watching over and the spider had snatched her right under his nose. He was destroying his pride, proclaiming to the world that he was not a good enough alpha to protect what was his. Such an action would have repercussion, especially for their pack. They took care of things; they didn't get their asses handed to them by the spider. It would start with this and it would never end. Plus, who knew what he might do if he had something with powers like Kagome?

Who knew how he might use her…

"They have two!" Ginta shouted from the couch.

"Two what?"

"Two license plates he says came up as weird."

"I want the addresses linked to them, and I want them to look through everything and anything that might show when those license plates were caught on a camera."

"Kouga… I don't think they'll do that for us. It's not exactly…  _good guy stuff_."

He marched in direction of Ginta, grabbing him by the collar of his black shirt. "Does it look like I give a shit what they think is okay or not? I don't care if they get caught, I don't care if they lose their fucking job - I don't care how much money you have to throw at their fucking corrupted asses. We're gonna find where that fucking spider has been hauled up, and I'm gonna fuck kill him. Do you need me to be any more clean or you got it?"

Ginta's feet were hanging into the emptiness as he kicked his legs, trying to find the ground. "Crystal clear boss. Sorry, boss."

He tossed him back on the couch before he ran his fingers through his hair. He was just fucking sitting here. He hated waiting around. He wanted somewhere to raid; he wanted to spill some fucking blood. He should have ignored him phone and killed that fucking Inuyasha, anyway. At least his nerves would be a lot calmer. He'd seen women when they came back from the spider's clutches. It wasn't just that they would show up as a dead body; it was the obvious marks he would leave behind. He couldn't even imagine what that fucking psycho was doing to Kagome right now. He would wring his fucking neck if he laid his hands on her. She wasn't his to touch.

_He had to find her_.

-R-

Pain and warmth. That was what her world had become. Pain from the all the different attacks used against her. Warmth from all the blood that spilled from her wounds. She saw the darkness emerging from the one small window, and she knew she had been there for a while. She was scared to see the sunrise; if they hadn't found her by then, they would never find her. It was what she had decided. Already, her time was ticking. Sometimes she would be awake, other times it was easier to slip into unconsciousness - it was less painful. Although the spider's theory hadn't been wrong; she had used her powers through her body but her energy levels were too low. It did nothing. They would stay away from her for a while, but then -  _they would go back at it_. The spider hadn't come back yet, and she didn't know if it was a bad thing or a good thing.

"Wake up, little bird."

She didn't want to - she wanted to keep sleeping. So tired. So warm. So much pain.

Her powers hadn't harmed them. She could radiate them like an aura around her body, reaching a greater distance, but it was so weak by then that most of them were left unbothered. How could she take down so many of them? Then again, she probably wasn't supposed to… the spider would not leave her in a situation where she could win. It wouldn't make sense. She didn't know how he worked or what his end goals was - but she had a pretty good idea what he would do to her next and she refused to let it happen. She would not be his puppet; she would not be his toy. Somehow, she would find a way out of this. She had to…

"She does look pretty beat up. Maybe we should take a break," said one of the voices.

"You take pity on her now?"

"No, but boss did say he wanted her  _alive_."

"Hm, I guess you're right. I guess our little bird can take a second to recover." He grabbed her face forcefully, tilting it backwards. "You should be thanking us."

But no words came out of her mouth. Instead, she kept her eyes closed, her heart hammering in her chest. She waited for him to release her, and then she listened as the footsteps walked away from her. After a few moments, she cracked her eyes opened, watching her surroundings. They were still there, but they were far. Far enough for her to try something that might go undetected. The more she stretched out her powers, the less they could feel them. She allowed her aura to roll off her skin, enjoying the soothing feeling it had over her; it wasn't healing her but it took away some pain. She pushed it, as far and as wide as she could, covering as much distance as possible. Once she felt like it was tugging at her chest, she stopped. She let it pulsate like a heartbeat, like a beacon.

If anyone was near - if she was amid any kind of civilization, maybe, just maybe, he would find her.

-R-

"It's the monk."

The monk? Kouga took the phone from Hakkaku and put it to his ear. "This better be important."

" _How fast can you get all your men ready?"_

_"_ What?"

" _I think I found her."_

_"_ How?"

" _It's hard to explain. Come to my apartment, bring people. I doubt he left her unguarded."_

_"_ We're on our way." He closed the phone and tossed it back to Hakkaku. "Get your lazy asses ready, we're going."

He trusted the monk enough to know that the call was legit - even if he wasn't sure how Miroku had found her. Still, he was not about to complain. The faster they got her out of there, the better the hopes for her. There might be time yet to spare her the worst of the torture. Hopefully.

"Some of you stay here. We don't know if it's a ploy from the spider, and I don't want this place unsupervised. Figure out amongst yourself and then get your asses to the car.  _Now_."

He heard their feet scramble to the floor as he headed for the door himself. He knew better than to not cover every possible option. There was a real probability that them finding her was all part of that fucking spider's plan and he would be damned if he let him fool them like this. He had turned them into fools enough time already. He couldn't wait to get to the spider and wrap his hands around his neck. He would make him suffer for every fucking thing he had done. His death would be slow and torturous and Kouga would make sure he was the one to deliver the final blow. No one would take his sweet victory from him.

_He_  was the alpha.

-R-


End file.
